The Unlikely Hero
by Spark Vallen
Summary: Episode I of Falco Volt's journey as a Jedi.
1. Chapter 1

**Star Wars: The Unlikely Hero  
**--sparkvallen

_Disclaimer: Star Wars is copyrighted by Lucasfilm and associated companies - I do not __own any of the Star Wars characters, settings, etc. _

**Chapter One  
**_Jedi Temple - Coruscant_

Even without the Force, an observer to the Jedi Temple would have known that there was something important, perhaps life-changing, about to happen. Tension was thick in the elegant halls of the Temple; students who were unaware that many of the High Council had traveled to the Separatist world Geonosis still had the sense that something was coming. And those Padawans, Knights and Masters at the Jedi Temple who were aware that the galaxy was about to be thrust into war felt it within the Force, within the marrow of their bones and exoskeletons. The guardians of peace and justice for the Republic were about to put that oath to the ultimate test.

Within the Temple, a senior Padawan known as Falco Volt rummaged through his stores of droid parts, searching for a particular motor and frowning as its location continued to elude him. He slammed the bin shut and moved on to another as he continued to seek out the motor that he needed in order to repair the astromech droid that had been brought to him from the hangar bay.

"You're as good as he is, you know," remarked a female voice from over Falco's shoulder.

"Riiiight. That's why I'm here and a Padawan and _he _islike… out there with Master Kenobi becoming a hero in the Order. Thanks, Siri, but I don't buy it."

The Chadra-Fan Padawan gave her species equivalent of a Human shrug. "While he's learning in the field, you're learning here."

The twenty-one year old Padawan Falco snorted and kept his face toward the bin as he nimbly sorted through the various motors he had modified or repaired over the years. Without replying to Siri's compliment of his skills, Falco turned and walked back to the meter-high droid. "Let's see how this suits you, little guy…"

Siri watched as Falco expertly replaced the faulty motor that had left the droid immobilized. He cleaned carbon scoring off its red and white outer casing with practiced motions, proving that he was in his element. Falco triggered the R5's reset button and stepped back, rising to his full height of two meters as he watched the droid.

"Looks like you did it," Siri observed.

"Easy work. _Anakin _could do it too, you know."

The sarcasm in Falco's voice was obvious and intentional. Siri looked up at him, the young man who'd been her friend for their entire lives as trainees then as Padawans in the Jedi Order. She wrinkled her snout-like nose at him, contemplating how to respond. Siri knew that Falco and Anakin Skywalker were equal geniuses in electronics, droid manufacture and repair. She also knew it bothered Falco to no end that Anakin _also _had exceptional skills as a warrior and was likely closer to his Jedi Knighthood than he was.

"I'm less worried about Anakin," she said carefully. "I'm more concerned about you."

Falco looked at her, a frown showing his confusion. "Why?"

"You obsess about him and it's not healthy," Siri replied. Her large rodent-like ears twitched as she climbed atop one of his supply crates and settled herself comfortably. "Anakin has his own problems, ones you should be grateful you don't have to deal with. Stick to walking your own path, Falco, and let go of your competition with Anakin Skywalker."

Tossing his hydrospanner back onto the work bench, Falco leaned back against the table, pressing his lower back against its edge and setting his hands to either side of him. "You're wrong about me."

"Maybe," she said in a non-committal tone. "But I'm not wrong about _him_. Anakin's going to get himself in trouble the way he behaves. You don't have to worry about competing with him. You're way ahead of him, Falco."

Falco looked toward the door. Beyond the repair shop within the Temple, the senior Jedi who had remained on Coruscant had just learned of the battle at Geonosis from Master Yoda. The galaxy was officially at war now, unbeknownst to these two Padawans.

_

* * *

Dantooine - Twenty years earlier…_

Though the Jedi Acquisition Team had existed nearly as long as the Order itself, few citizens of the Republic understood how a child began a life as a Jedi-becoming. The Volt family of Dantooine, marginally successful merchants, learned just how this process worked during the harvest season for the farming world. Falco and Annalia Volt ran a supply shop within the city and lived above their shop with infant son, Falco Jr. Selling everything from small medkits and foodstuffs to droid upgrades and used ship parts, the Volt's had no notion that their young son was destined for the Jedi. Little Falco exhibited no outward signs of a Force sensitive being. He neither levitated his bottle nor influenced the family pets with simple mind tricks. Therefore, it was a complete surprise when the tall dark-skinned Jedi Master entered their shop with far more in mind than the supplies they sold.

"Good day, can I help you, Miss?" Falco Sr. asked. He was a jovial, pleasant man who was well regarded in the community.

The woman half-smiled, seeing the vendor through the Force as well as in the physical. Teri Cho'din could see what a loving, caring man Falco Volt was; she knew this would be an especially painful acquisition, if the Volt's allowed it at all.

"Perhaps. I seek something that would not be in your normal inventory, however," Teri said elusively.

Falco Sr. regarded her intricate dark braids and her luminous deep-set eyes. "I'm sorry?" he asked, not quite understanding the woman's comment.

Offering him a bow from the waist, Teri introduced herself. "Jedi Master Teri Cho'din. Mr. Volt, you have a young son, correct?"

His blue eyes went wide with sudden understanding at her earlier response. _Something that would not be in your normal inventory. _Falco Jr. He looked at the woman, surprised. "Master Jedi, perhaps we should speak in private."

She nodded. "That would be wise."

Falling silent, the merchant immediately tacked a sign onto his door that the store would be closed until further notice. Falco led the Jedi Master to the stairwell at the back of the shop that led up to the apartment where his wife, Annalia, was playing on the floor with little Falco.

"Falco, honey, what are you doing up here this time of day?" Annalia asked, at first seeing only her lifemate and not the woman who stood behind him in the foyer. Falco Jr. cocked his head to the side and giggled loudly, holding his arms out to his father.

The elder Falco entered and scooped his son into his arms, hugging the infant to his chest. With him moving into the living area, Teri Cho'din was now visible. Annalia gasped as she hurriedly rose to her feet, taking in the sight of the Jedi.

"Falco?"

"Annalia, this is Master Jedi Teri Cho'din. Master Cho'din, my lifemate, Annalia, and our son, Falco Jr." he said, kissing into his son's blond haired head.

"What's… what can we do for you, Master Jedi?" Annalia's voice was very small and scared.

"Please… um, sit down, Master," Falco said, delaying what he knew was the inevitable.

"Thank you." Teri sat down gracefully in a single-seat chair, shifting her robe as she sat. She gazed at Falco Jr. in his father's arms and again thought that this would be a difficult assignment indeed. "I suppose I should get right to the reason why I'm here, Mr. and Mrs. Volt."

Annalia and Falco sat down on the couch across from the Jedi Master. She took her child into her arms and held him protectively as Falco ran his fingers over the little boy's back.

"Are you aware of the process by which one trains as a Jedi?" she asked.

They both shook their head no. Teri watched as Annalia pulled Falco Jr. closed to her breast. It was the same story on a thousand worlds as a member of the Jedi Acquisition Team arrived. Nearly without fail, those who had never been trained to the beliefs in non-attachment struggled to let go of the illusion of propriety over another life.

"Within our Order, there is a department known as Jedi Acquisitions. We members follow up on leads for Force sensitive beings, children usually under the age of three who hold within them the promise of serving the Force and the Republic," she explained, her gazing traveling between the two parents. "Such children who are given to the Order for training keep their name but that is the last connection to their family. The Jedi become their family as they live within the Temple and train to Knighthood or go into other areas of galactic service."

"So you're here for little Falco," Annalia stated.

Teri nodded. Years of this work had taught her to not beat around the Bantha; go straight to the point and be honest with the family. "Yes."

The merchant frowned. "Like… how did you know of our son? Why would you think he could become a Jedi? He doesn't do anything… weird. He's just a normal little baby!"

"Some children develop their skills earlier than others," Teri allowed, "but it is clear the Force flows strong and purely through your son."

At this, Falco Jr. cooed in his mother's arms and squirmed until he was turned enough to look at Master Cho'din. He screeched then laughed as he stared at her.

"But how would you know he even existed?" Annalia persisted.

"There was a Master-Padawan team here on Dantooine several weeks ago to seek out crystals for the Padawan's lightsaber," she explained. "While they were in the city, the Jedi Master in question had sensed a beacon of light in the Force, radiating from your shop--"

"Perhaps one of us?" Annalia suggested, trying to distract the Jedi from her little boy.

"No. It was clearly your son. The Master reported his findings in the Force and that report was sent to Acquisitions. This is why I am now here."

Falco said, "So you want us to give you our first-born son so that he could… become… a Jedi."

Teri nodded solemnly.

"No!" Annalia cried suddenly, standing and scurrying to a corner of the room, getting as far from the Jedi Master as she could with her son.

"I understand that this is difficult to ask," Teri said smoothly, "and I have enough experience in this to know that you would need time to process this request to offer Falco Jr. a greater life of service to the Republic. I'll remain here within the city for the next two weeks and be willing to answer any questions you may have. At the end of that period though, I will need a decision from you."

"I have a question now," Falco said. "_If_ we were to say yes, this means we would never see our little boy again?"

"Communication with one's family is strongly discouraged. The focus of the Jedi is service to the entire Republic as one large family."

"Discouraged but not forbidden?"

Teri half-smiled again. "_Strongly _discouraged but not forbidden. Children under age three standard years are selected though because they tend not to remember their families. They are also young enough to not have formed certain thought patterns and beliefs, which makes the training of a Jedi all the easier."

The two parents exchanged nervous glances.

From a pocket within her robe, Master Cho'Din produced a slip of flim-plast. "This is my comlink frequency when you wish to get in touch. I'm at your service."

The meeting was clearly over and the Jedi Master saw herself out while the stunned parents stared with confusion and awe at their little son, Falco.


	2. Chapter 2

**Star Wars: The Unlikely Hero  
**--sparkvallen

_Disclaimer: Star Wars is copyrighted by Lucasfilm and associated companies - I do not __own any of the Star Wars characters, settings, etc. _

**Chapter Two**

Allowing Falco Volt Jr. the life that Jedi Master Teri Cho'din had promised for their son was the most difficult decision his parents had ever made. In the two weeks she had allotted them, the Volt family agonized over who knew what was best for the infant. Falco Sr. had obviously had dreams as any father would of his son succeeding him in the family business, in this case, their supply store. Annalia had dreams of her son marrying and a good Dantooine girl and starting his own family, so that she would have grandchildren to dote over someday. And yet, the words of the Jedi Master echoed in their minds about who Falco should be allowed to serve; were their interests in him carrying on as a Dantooine man best? Or was it better to grant him the opportunity as a Jedi-to-be when he would serve the entire Republic?

Falco Sr. placed the comlink call to Master Cho'din with cold, clammy hands on his own communicator. His heart was pounding as he asked the Jedi to meet with them again in their home exactly two weeks later. The woman was serene and polite as she entered their upstairs home but she knew the answer the moment that she looked upon the Volt's: Falco would indeed train as a Jedi in the Temple on Coruscant. Years of experience in Acquisitions told her so.

"We have only one… um… request, well. One demand," Annalia said, holding her infant son in her lap. He was playing with her fingers, pushing them experimentally.

"I will grant it if it's in my powers, of course."

"We want him to know who is family is, when he's old enough. Falco and I created a Holocron that tells who we are, where we live and what we do. It tells the story of our lives together and--" Annalia's voice cracked as the tears that had been threatening to fall finally did. She wept quietly, clutching her son to her. "We want little Falco to know where he came from and that…. and that he'll always be welcome here if-- if he ever needs to come home."

Teri pursed her honey-colored lips as she stared at the infant, safe in his mother's arms. The "demand" that the Volt's had made was not unlike the same sorts of ideas other parents had had on other worlds across the galaxy; Teri could safely say she had heard it all in her years in the department. Their request was spoken out of love and attachment, the sort of possessive love that was forbidden for Jedi but automatic with parents. The Force seemed to slow and time became hazy as Teri watched little Falco; a vision of him as an adult flashed through her eyes, seeing him tall and broad shouldered, wearing the traditional robes of a Jedi Knight. She closed her dark eyes, concentrating on the vision. The Volt's watched her, mystified.

"I'll take the Holocron you created with me," Teri said after a long time. It was an unorthodox allowance, one that others in the department would not approve of… but also a decision that she had made more than once in her career. "It will be placed in a secure vault within the Temple but only offered to Falco _if _he should ask of his family. And _when _the time is right for such truth to be shared by his Master."

"By his Master? You mean, you're not--"

"No. I'm not." Teri shook her head. "My role is to find Force sensitive children and only should an advanced student seek this path in the Living Force would I take one on as a Padawan, my personal student."

"But--" Falco Sr. seemed very troubled by this, learning that the woman whom they were entrusting their son to wouldn't be raising him.

"Mr. and Mrs. Volt, the way of the Jedi stems back over one thousand generations. Believe me; this method is for the best. Falco will be raised by Jedi whose purpose is to tend to younglings, to teach them to walk, to speak Basic and then begin studying other languages early on. They are taught values and grow up with other Force sensitive children in a supportive environment," Teri explained, her voice full of warmth though she spoke matter-of-factly. "Falco will be educated in history, how the Republic functions, sciences, art and technology, just as any child would in the Republic. The difference is that he'll also be learning about the Force and how it manifests for him."

They listened to her in distressed silence.

"From the age of nine to thirteen, Falco will be a candidate for an apprenticeship where he will become a Padawan Learner to an experienced Jedi. He will then learn the ways of the Force through practical experience, walking the path and serving the galaxy under the guidance of a Master."

"But what if he doesn't?" Annalia asked.

"What if he doesn't what?"

"What if he finds no Master to train him individually?"

Teri thought the vision she had just seen, seeing Falco garbed as a Jedi _Knight _and not in the jumpsuit of a member of the AgriCorps. "He will. Of that I am certain," the Master said.

"You know what his future will be?" Falco asked, his tone also anxious.

"The Force is always in motion. What I see as his future now may change over time as Falco makes his own choices along the path. But yes, the Force shows me Falco Volt as a Jedi Knight."

This seemed to settle them somewhat, at least knowing that the path they were presenting to their son would be actualized. They looked to one another, then to Falco Jr. who remained oblivious of his destiny being laid out for him in the living room. He began to clap his hands for no apparent reason which made everyone smile, even if the moment was bittersweet.

"Now?"

Teri cocked her head to the side. "I'll leave that decision to you both. Falco and I can travel to Coruscant tomorrow morning as well as tonight."

"Tomorrow morning then, if you please, so that we have one more night with our little boy," Annalia said.

And so it was done. The following morning, Teri Cho'din returned to the Volt store and apartment a third and final time; when she departed, she carried an especially quiet baby in the crook of her left arm and a bag of supplies in a satchel on her right shoulder. Annalia and Falco Volt Sr. stared in anguish as their son was carried away, to the spaceport in order to begin a life they could never provide him: the life of a Jedi becoming.

Upon arrival at Coruscant and the Jedi Temple, Teri was as good as her word, placing the Holocron they had created for Falco in a vault that was a part of the Jedi Archives. Master Jocasta Nu had shaken her head with dismay as another of Teri's "artifacts" found a home in her vast library. He was nkown upon arrival as only Falco Volt and not Falco Volt Jr. to signify back to his family. Falco had gone up to the crèche where the youngest of younglings were raised by members of the Order who - while not Knights - were still trained Jedi nevertheless. Teri Cho'din never did see the child again; once he had been placed in the care of the Temple, her journey continued with the Acquisitions Team, taking her across the wide galaxy.

_Five years later…_

"Falco, would you like to tell us why moisture vaporators are in such high demand on Tatooine?" There was a lengthy pause before the Jedi instructor who taught _Galactic Awareness_ spoke again. "Falco? Falco Volt!"

Absorbed by the designs he'd been working on for a droid arm accessory on his flim-plast, six-year-old Falco hadn't so much as heard his name spoken by his instructor much less heard the question that had been asked of him about moisture vaporators. He looked up blankly at Instructor Kel and flushed. "Um… what?"

"The question, Falco, was why moisture vaporators are in such high demand on Tatooine," Kel repeated. "But now, I'm more curious to know what was so engaging on your flim-plast that you didn't hear the question."

He covered the flim-plast with his forearms without thinking, trying to hide his sketch. Falco caught himself and sat his hands in his lap, bowing his head. "I was working on a sketch, Instructor. For a droid accessory."

"Ahh, yes. Our _other_ droid-making youngling," Kel said, glancing over at the Padawan Learner who was in his course this session.

A Padawan who had been allowed into the Order well beyond the normal age range for a youngling: _Padawan_ Anakin Skywalker. His story was well-known because it was unconventional and it figured prominently around the maverick Master Qui-Gon Jinn; young Anakin's future as a Jedi had begun unlike most others as he was discovered as a _boy _and then caught in the middle of the Trade Federation's blockade of Naboo where Master Jinn had been killed by, presumably, a Sith Lord. Though Kel had had little choice when it came down to it, he had allowed Padawan Skywalker in his course for younglings as a favor to the boy's master, Obi-wan Kenobi.

Anakin looked back at Instructor Kel with unflinching blue eyes while Falco squirmed. He had been nearly bitten his tongue off not to interrupt the reprimand, knowing first-hand why vaporators were not just in high demand but _essential _on Tatooine. Now, young Anakin was serious and calm.

"Well. Let's go back to the question, Falco. Why are moisture vaporators so important?"

"Because Tatooine's a desert and deserts aren't known for their water supplies," Falco finally said. He knew the material they were covering even if he wasn't paying attention in class.

Kel caught the tone of Falco's response, but decided _he _was already too weary to reprimand the boy further. "Very well then. Let's move on to Alderaan and its non-defensive stance…"

When he was finally able to leave Instructor Kel's class forty-five minutes later, Falco bolted out the door and into the hallway. His datapad reader was tucked under his arm as he scurried into the flow of foot traffic. Falco had lunch plans with his best friend in the Temple, Siri Sarae. Siri was a Chadra-Fan and stood as tall as he did. She always teased him though that one day, Falco would grow tall and she would stay as tall as they were now so he'd remember how tall he had been when he was six.

"Falco! Hey! Falco!"

A voice behind him in the corridor slowed his rushed pace back to the dormitory. Falco turned and saw the taller boy, Padawan Anakin, hurrying toward him. He quickly remembered what Instructor Kel had said: Anakin was also into droids. Falco found that strange since he'd heard that Anakin was supposed to be "The Chosen One." _Whatever that even means, _he thought.

"Padawan Skywalker," Falco said respectfully as he'd been taught early on.

Anakin rolled his eyes and brushed a hand over his spiky blond hair. "Just call me Anakin. Hey, where are you rushing off to?"

"My dorm," Falco said. "I wanted to toss my stuff in my footlocker before I go to the cafeteria for lunch with my friend, Siri!"

"Can I walk with you? You told Instructor Kel you were working on a droid accessory?" Anakin asked, genuinely intrigued.

"Uh-huh. Just a sketch, really, but I'm… like, I think it would work!" Falco replied as they continued up the corridor.

Anakin smiled at meeting a kindred spirit in the Jedi Temple. Since he'd arrived several weeks earlier, he'd done nothing but struggle to adapt to the life of a Jedi Padawan. He felt uncomfortable being the boy who knew nothing about the Jedi path but had arrived as Obi-wan Kenobi's student. He was interested in droids, piloting and technology and he was completely in the minority compared to other students.

"I could help you out with that," Anakin said to Falco.

"Huh?"

Smiling at the younger boy, Anakin explained, "I've already made one droid! A protocol droid to help my… my Mom. She's on Tatooine and needs the help a lot now that I'm gone."

Completely derailed by mention of family, Falco stared at the taller boy. "You _know _your Mom?"

"Yeah. I miss her a lot."

"I don't know who my parents are," Falco said. There was no trace of sadness in his voice like there was in Anakin's. It was just something he had grown up knowing; it was just the truth that he had been raised in the Jedi Temple.

"None of you do, it sounds like. Anyway, I've been working on building my own droid in my free time here at the Temple. You should see! I've got parts _everywhere _in my room! Master Obi-wan keeps telling me to clean it up or to work on my studies, but I really love working with stuff, you know?"

Falco smiled. "Yeah, I know."

As they entered the dormitory, Falco was quick to stow his studies in the footlocker. Anakin looked around the room, comparing the several younglings to a room to his accommodations adjacent to Master Obi-wan's. He realized this was how everyone else lived until they were chosen by a Master.

They walked to the turbolift and rode that down to the cafeteria's level together. Falco decided to just invite Anakin to lunch with Siri and him, figuring she wouldn't mind. They chatted actively about droids and the parts that Anakin had been able to get within the Temple to tinker with. Knights and Masters who were in the corridors themselves noticed "The Chosen One" finally seeming like he might adjust after all to life in the Temple as he talked animatedly with a youngling so much younger than himself.


	3. Chapter 3

**Star Wars: The Unlikely Hero  
**--sparkvallen

_Disclaimer: Star Wars is copyrighted by Lucasfilm and associated companies - I do not __own any of the Star Wars characters, settings, etc. _

**Chapter Three**

"You do realize that was the Padawan that some Knights are calling 'The Chosen One', don't you?" Siri asked, her words whispered as she and Falco both smiled and waved back at Anakin as he hurried off for his next lesson.

"Uh… well, yeah!" Falco said with exuberance. "Doesn't that mean he was like… _chosen _by his Master?"

Siri shook her fur-covered head. "No. _The Chosen One_. It's part of some sort of prophecy from the ancient Jedi, I think. I overheard the instructors talking about it. He's going to be very important some day."

Falco shrugged, not grasping the gravity of what Siri was trying to tell him. "He says he going to help me with my droid-accessory making!" he said, changing the subject a bit.

"Oh, I've heard all about his droid making already!" Siri replied. "Up where the Masters and Padawans live when they're at the Temple, I guess Anakin has been tooling around with the Temple's droids. The Masters aren't real pleased with him for it."

Falco frowned. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he asked, "Why not?"

"They say 'The Chosen One' should be meditating on the Force."

The six-year old huffed. "That's stupid."

Siri's dark eyes widened as she looked at Falco. "That's what _we _should be doing too! We are becoming Jedi, not droid manufacturers in the Core!"

"My classes are boring though. I can't wait 'til we're… you know… old enough to be Padawans! That will be so much better than going to school around here."

She tsk-tsk'd him as though Siri were levels about him in Jedi training. Though in the same level as far as their abilities went, Siri was technically older because of her species' rate of maturation. "Focus on the now, Falco. That's what the Masters say."

"Yes, yes! Listen to Siri, you must!"

Both younglings whirled on their heels at the distinctive voice of the ancient and wise Jedi Master Yoda. He was the eldest on the High Council having served for nearly 900 years! He was beloved among the younglings because they knew him as the most playful of all the Masters and he was very disarming being _shorter_ than even Falco and Siri!

"Master Yoda!" they exclaimed in unison, offering the tiny green Master bows.

His large ears twitched as he smiled and bowed stiffly to both younglings. "Wise you are, young Siri, is it?"

Siri was beaming with pride that Yoda would know who she was. "Yes, Master Yoda. And thank you, Master."

Wizened eyes gazed upon young Falco who was positively squirming with nerves in his beige tunic. "And you… Falco Volt, you are, yes?"

His eyes went wide to know that Yoda also knew his name. With there being thousands of Jedi Knights across the galaxy let alone those housed within the Jedi Temple, Falco could hardly believe that Yoda would take the time to know who they were too! "Yes… yes, Master Yoda. I'm Falco!"

"Take my Force class you will!" he chortled. "Both of you, yes!"

They stared at the Jedi Master, dumbstruck. Even at their level as students, Siri and Falco knew that not just anyone was able to take a training class with Master Yoda. He didn't teach all that often as it was; one had to be picked to join his course. And they just learned _how _that selection came about. Both younglings knew that Yoda had not taken a Padawan since his most recent had "joined" The Lost Twenty; every student learned of those twenty Jedi who had left the Order for different reasons. Falco and Siri each wondered if being in Master Yoda's classes was the only way to ever formally learn from him.

"Yes, Master!" they both replied.

Laughing to himself, Yoda moved on, leaning heavily on his small cane. The two younglings stared after him for some time before turning to each other and embracing with a powerful hug.

"Force help us! We've been asked to study with Master Yoda!" Siri squealed.

"Like… whoa! I… I… I mean, of course he'd let you in, Siri!" Falco said, shaking his head in wonder. "But… you know I'm like… I don't pay attention in class already! Why would Master Yoda want me in his class?"

"To teach you to pay attention to the moment, nerf-for-brains," Siri teased. "Who cares why! He wants us both in there!"

Beside themselves with glee, the two friends cleared their table in the cafeteria and hurried off to the respective classes for the rest of the day. Like everyone else, they knew that a Force class with Master Yoda would be held outside in the gardens beyond the Jedi Temple in the evening. In order to get to that lesson though, they would have to work through the day's courses in languages and mathematics first.

* * *

_The same evening…_

Following the evening meal but still before dusk when he was due out in the gardens, Falco sat on his sleep-couch, distressed. He hadn't been joking when he asked Siri why in space Master Yoda would want him to attend his class! Falco knew that he was competent with the Force - he could hear and feel its guidance as he grew up and learned more and more. But he by no means felt like he should be in a class taught by the leader of the High Council.

"I'll probably say or do something stupid and he'll be all like, 'Hey, you! Falco! Why don't you get out of here, youngling! You aren't going to make it as a Jedi, so just get out of here!' I'm sure that's what will happen," he whispered to the empty dormitory room.

Still, as his bedside chrono indicated it was time to head down to the gardens, Falco went. He rode in silence down the turbolift to the main level of the Temple and met with Siri at the egress doors. Where he felt depressed and scared about this course, his Chadra-Fan friend was bursting with energy and excitement at their opportunity. Siri realized though that Falco was stressing out and tried to contain herself. A little.

"Falco, you better get happy. If anybody, Master Yoda will be able to see you don't want to be here," she whispered as they went outdoors.

It was a warm night on Coruscant though the sun had dipped below the horizon. The sky glowed a fiery orange-red, though by the time the lesson with Yoda was done, it would be well after dark. They walked together across the winding path to the grotto in which they would find the Jedi Master and other students.

"I can't help it," Falco finally said to Siri. "I just know Master Yoda's going to tell me I'm an idiot or something."

He was a gifted youngling and Siri knew it. She knew how her friend aced exam after exam; she knew that Falco barely paid attention in his classes because he was already competent in the material! And yet, Falco suffered from major self-esteem problems, thinking the worst of himself when he was one of the stars of their level.

"He can't say that about you," Siri replied. Falco looked at her. "That's _my _job, nerf-for-brains."

He stuck his tongue out. "Stop calling me that, or I'll…. I'll make up some goofy name for you!"

It was a standing joke between them that Siri could hurl loving, but insulting names with the wit of many adults. Falco was usually the brunt of such names and for all his efforts to reciprocate, he was usually left stumped. With that truth in mind, Siri smiled. "You just try."

The other four students who were already students in Master Yoda's class were seated lotus-style and in a semi-circle in the grass. The Jedi Master himself was perched on a rock that was knee-high to Falco. The other younglings were a mix of species and all chronologically older than both the Human and Chadra-Fan. Falco and Siri sat down beside each other to add to the semi-circle and looked to Master Yoda.

Both sensing and knowing from experience the natural rivalries that could exist among younglings, Yoda said, "Equal we all are in the Force. All of you and… me!"

The children giggled, believing with good reason that Master Yoda was far and beyond equal to them. He wrinkled his face in a smile, anticipating their thought, however naïve it was.

"Know you meditation and how to use the Force to move objects," Yoda said, summarizing the Force skills among his six pupils. The older younglings would surely be more proficient but the Jedi Master knew roughly where everyone's studies lie. "With Yoda you will learn to feel deeply in the Force, yes! Deeply, you will go into who you are and into who we all are."

Falco shifted in his lotus position, uncomfortable with the seriousness with which Yoda now spoke. This was different from all his other courses where he could rely on intelligence. What the Jedi Master was asking of the younglings was to feel even more than they had done thus far with the Force and he was again unsure he was up to the task.

"Calm you must be," Yoda said as though he heard Falco's very worries. "for a Jedi's strength flows _with _the Force… worry not you must, younglings…"

Somewhat dazed by his unusual speaking pattern and the lull of his voice, Falco could feel himself drifting into a meditative state. The younglings around him brightened in his mind's eye as he touched the Force consciously. Falco smiled to himself as he sensed Siri through the Force and she gave him a mental, playful nudge. He let himself relax further as Yoda continued to speak.

"Yes… trust the Force you will… guide you, it does, younglings… Look deep! Feel the Force flowing through you… show you it will your progress as a Jedi as it shows you where you will go as you grow," Yoda said softly. "Feel! Feel your classmates. Feel the Temple itself and the Jedi there…"

The younglings made soft "ooh" sounds as the Force continued to broaden their awareness and their perspectives. Falco though remained silent as the Force guided him toward one particular being within the Temple, the Padawan he had met earlier that day: Anakin Skywalker. Through the Force, Falco was "seeing" what Anakin was doing in his chamber beside Obi-wan Kenobi's. The Padawan was angry. Enraged. Falco wasn't sure why, but he could see Anakin stomping about throwing a tantrum. He watched with awe and some fear as Anakin brought the many droid parts about him in a whirlwind in the Force; it was a skill, Falco knew that was limited to experienced Jedi only because of the control it took. He suddenly understood the references to Anakin being a "chosen one" given his Force abilities but it frightened the youngling to feel what anger there was in the Padawan.

Falco trembled in the physical as he tried to guide his awareness _away _from Anakin Skywalker. He didn't want to see anymore and couldn't understand why the Force was showing him this display. Gritting his teeth, Falco moaned as he couldn't quite bring himself out of the meditation.

"Easy, young Falco," Yoda said, his voice soothing the storm in Falco's mind. "Breathe you must and relax more…"

Falco's eyes snapped open and realized that he'd been crying! Rubbing roughly at his cheeks to wipe the tears away, he stared at the green-skinned Master, feeling panicky. Yoda looked to the other younglings and quiet dismissed them for the evening; they all knew exactly when to meet with the Jedi Master again in the grotto without it being said. Siri lingered until Yoda had shooed her off to the Temple, leaving he and Falco alone.

From within his small dark brown robe, Yoda produced a sweet and handed it to Falco. The little boy took it readily, sucking on the hard candy as he tried to get himself under control. He still felt very much shaken by what he had seen.

"Saw something in the Force you did," Yoda remarked. "But what, I wonder?"

Taking a deep breath, Falco thought of the rage he had sensed in Padawan Anakin. Was it even safe to tell a Jedi Master… even Yoda? He bit his lower lip then said, "Master Yoda, I saw Padawan Skywalker."

"Ahh! Met him today you did, yes?"

"We are… both, you know, in Instructor Kel's class." His cheeks flushed as he remembered _why _they had met. "I kind of got… in trouble in class today because I was working on a drawing. I knew the material though, so it wasn't like… like I totally wasn't paying attention though."

Yoda smiled slightly.

"After class, Anak-- Padawan Skywalker caught up with me to… to uh, talk. Because he likes droids too," he explained, his nerves shot.

"Yes, yes, Falco Volt and Anakin Skywalker! Both boys who know droids well, yes!" Yoda's smile faltered as he watched the youngling before him. "Saw what did you of Padawan Skywalker?"

"He was… um… like really upset in his room. Really angry! He was making a whirlwind with the Force and all of his parts were flying around him!" Falco said.

Yoda's ear twitched as he listened, his equivalent of raising an eyebrow.

"I… I got scared because, I mean it was cool to see Anakin being able to use the Force so powerful like that, but… I was scared because a Jedi isn't supposed to get really angry, right? I mean… I learned the Code so I know that it's all like 'there is no emotion, there is peace' but… Anakin was really mad and acting up!"

The Jedi Master stared at Falco, looking at him deeply, purposefully. Falco felt like the Master was looking through him and right into his soul. He did his best not to squirm. Or run.

"Interesting it is that the Force shows you this, Falco. Do you know why?"

"Um…" Falco tried to think about it - why would the Force show him Anakin pitching a fit in his room? He had no answer though. "I don't know, Master."

Yoda seemed to have an interpretation of the vision and experience, given the look in his eyes. All he said to the youngling before him was, though, "Be friends with Padawan Skywalker when he is on Coruscant with Master Obi-wan. But! Remember this vision you should, Falco. Powerful the Force is and important it must have been for you to see what you did."

"Yes, Master Yoda."

The Master's expression softened again, becoming far more playful. "Go on now. To bed you must go. Even a Jedi needs rest, yes!"

Falco scampered to his feet and bowed to Master Yoda. He nodded sagely in return and the youngling hurried back to the Temple and his dormitory, thinking hard about what he had seen and what Yoda had said about the vision through the Force. Meanwhile, the Jedi Master remained in the garden grotto, his expression troubled.


	4. Chapter 4

**Star Wars: The Unlikely Hero  
**--sparkvallen

_Disclaimer: Star Wars is copyrighted by Lucasfilm and associated companies - I do not __own any of the Star Wars characters, settings, etc. _

**Chapter Four**

The following morning after their class with Master Yoda, Falco Volt and Siri Sarae sat together on a bench as they waited for the one class they shared in this level: _Beginning with the Lightsaber_. This was the first class in which the younglings were allowed to hold a lightsaber and in truth, they had spent more time going over the mental side of lightsaber combat, learning about the history of the Forms and who had founded them than anything else. Falco yearned to learn of the inner workings of a lightsaber, how precisely the crystals created the blade and such knowledge wouldn't come in this course.

"So what did he say?" Siri finally asked when Falco hadn't volunteered any details about the private conversation he had had with Master Yoda.

Tired after not sleeping well, Falco yawned. "We talked about what I saw."

Siri rolled her eyes. The average hostile Tusken Raider was friendly than he was being! "What _did_ you see?"

"I want to wield twin blades someday," Falco said thoughtfully.

"Don't change the subject, Falco! It had to be important that you stayed and talked one-on-one with Master Yoda," she hissed. "Are you going to tell me or not?"

"I saw something I shouldn't have!" he replied, irritably. "There! I didn't want to see it, but I did! So are you going to leave me alone or what!"

At that, Falco jumped up from the bench, leaving Siri to sit alone. Frowning, he stalked up and down the corridor as they and the other pupils waited on their instructor for the day. He hoped beyond hope that he had no more interaction with Anakin Skywalker - Falco had dreamed of him in the night, imagining him as a Jedi Knight someday. In the dream though, he saw Anakin as still the violent and angry boy he had seen in his Force vision and that scared him just as much as the vision itself. As a result, he had slept poorly and was sullen that this had been heaped on him. Falco didn't know what he would do or say if he did have to talk to the Padawan! He wished that Anakin would get sent off with his Master and be far away from the Temple.

Catching Siri out the corner of his eye as he paced, Falco finally went back over to sit beside her. She sniffed with the Chadra-Fan snort of "Oh, you again?" with derision and Falco sighed.

"I'm sorry. I… can't talk about it right now. I mean… Master Yoda didn't tell me to stay quiet or anything but… it's like I shouldn't say anything, you know?" Falco said. They both looked straight ahead, staring at the wall. "Are you… um… mad at me, Siri?"

Siri worked through a calming breath meditation before responding to his question. "Not anymore, Falco. I just want to be able to help you, if I can. And I didn't mean to push you into talking about what you saw. Not if you don't want to."

"Thanks," he said, letting his eyes slip closed "I'll tell you sometime, maybe… it just doesn't feel _right_ right now. Is that using the Force? Or am I just being a nerf-for-brains?"

Siri chuckled. "You're always a nerf-for-brains, Falco. But it's okay. If the Force leads you to feel you should be quiet, then its best to trust the Force."

Falco nodded more to himself than to his friend but said nothing more.

Getting the drift that even in vague terms, this wasn't a conversation Falco wanted to engage in, Siri went back to the subject he'd tried to change the topic to. "So you would want to use two lightsabers? I'll be doing good if I can handle _one_."

Falco smiled this time. "Yeah. I'm thinking a blue one and a purple one. Wouldn't that look neat? All… woo!" He jumped up and pretending to be wielding two blades as he stood there.

Siri laughed and motioned for him to sit back down. "That would look dramatic! Especially the way you stood there just now!"

"Do you think other Jedi can _have_ a purple lightsaber? I mean… isn't like, just Master Windu who has one?"

"I guess they could if they want. Are you going to study the Vaapad with Master Windu someday too?"

The Vaapad - they had both learned - was the most complex of all the Forms. Created by Jedi Master Mace Windu himself, the Form was the most brutal fighting style, skirting close to using the Darkside itself. They had learned in their class that Windu and his Padawan, who was also on the Jedi Council now, were the only ones to have learned and mastered Vaapad.

Falco chuckled at the question. "Yeah, like you can so totally see me doing the seventh Form right?"

Siri didn't answer, her eyes catching sight of a Padawan who hurried past them in the corridor. The Padawan was a female, a blonde Human who wore her hair in a ponytail in addition to her Padawan's Braid.

"You noticed the girl who just ran by?" she asked.

"The Padawan? Yeah. Why?"

"That's Spark Vallen. Heard of her?"

Falco thought for a moment, then he started laughing. "Isn't she the one that they made that line up about? _'Spark Vallen: Padawan Most Likely to Behead Herself in Lightsaber Combat_'? That was her?"

"That was her," Siri said with a nod. "Think how bad you have to be with a lightsaber to get that saying made up about you!"

"Yeah. That's terrible. The galaxy better hope that she ends up in the AgriCorps even though she's been a Padawan!" Falco teased. "Who'd want someone with a reputation like that, you know, defending you? You'd both get blasted!"

Both younglings rose to their feet and entered their classroom as the instructor finally arrived. It was time to learn in greater detail the history of Form Five on this day…

_Several weeks later…_

Falco's wish had been answered. Within a few days of his vision of Anakin Skywalker during Master Yoda's class, he and his Master Obi-wan Kenobi had been sent to Bakura for a mission. That was just fine with Falco as he could breathe easier in his _Galactic Awareness _course. He even tried to pay more attention to Instructor Kel's boring lectures since he didn't have to worry about interacting with Anakin. In this time span, Falco also turned seven standard years old, bringing him within two years of being a candidate to become a Padawan Learner.

The small group lessons continued with Yoda semi-frequently out in the grotto. The Jedi Master helped the six pupils explore the Force more deeply and in ways that their meditations and exercises in class had not allowed for. Siri and Falco _loved _those nightly gatherings with the High Council leader, feeling they were learning something well and beyond what was normal for younglings of their level. A surprising development to Siri and certainly Falco was when Yoda seemed to take a special interest in her friend. After each nightly session as the other five were sent back to the Temple, the Jedi Master sat and talked with Falco. About what, he never told Siri, but converse they did. She began to wonder if Yoda was grooming Falco to become _his _Padawan when he was of age.

One evening, Yoda and Falco walked together back to the Jedi Temple. Their pace through the gardens was leisurely. Coruscant's several moons cast plenty of natural light on the paths they walked; Yoda would point out various flora and speak in his usual riddles. Falco did his best to keep up with the Jedi Master's wit and wisdom while purposely slowing his stride so that he didn't rush ahead of Yoda.

"There! Over there, see the Padawan Learner you do…"

Yoda pointed with the tip of his cane toward a dark-haired Human girl who was levitating her training lightsaber a few inches above her palm. She sat on a stone bench and it was clear that her every effort was going into making that hilt levitate.

"Yes, Master Yoda, I see her," Falco replied. He watched her closely, wondering what exactly Yoda wanted him to see about her.

"Powerful Jedi will she be," Yoda remarked.

He hadn't meant to say it, but out the words came anyway. "But she's putting every ounce of her energy into levitating her lightsaber, Master Yoda. Why do you say she is a powerful Jedi?"

His wide green eyes peered up Falco, twinkling with amusement. "Floating a lightsaber shows how powerful a Jedi is, hmm?"

Falco opened his mouth to speak, and then realized how the Master had caught him. He smiled, abashed, unsure what to say now. Yoda smiled then looked out to the dark-haired girl as she practiced.

"Found by Master Qui-Gon Jinn she was. The little girl in blue, called her he did," Yoda said. "Sapharin her name is though. Hmm, yes, powerful Jedi will she be."

Falco looked from Yoda back to Sapharin, the Padawan. He remembered his history lessons about the Order and how Master Jinn had been killed in a duel on Naboo just before Anakin's arrival at the Temple as a Padawan. Because of the link to Anakin, Falco also remembered that Obi-wan Kenobi had been Qui-Gon Jinn's student. He wondered who was instructing Sapharin then.

"Troubled her training has been. Dark times these are, Falco. Trained she did not with Master Jinn though discover her he did. Trained Sapharin has with Master Fisto but now his path takes him from Coruscant and alone she must study. But powerful Jedi will she be." He nodded to himself. "Yes, powerful Jedi will she be."

Falco memorized all that Yoda had divulged about the girl and told himself to greet her warmly if he should ever see Sapharin in the Temple's corridors or in the cafeteria. He turned back to Yoda but the Master had moved along the path without his realizing it. Hurrying along to catch up with him, the Master spoke a startling comment to Falco as he walked at his side.

"To the Wookiee homeworld Kashyyyk must I go soon," Yoda remarked. "Friends there I have with the Wookiees. Visit I must. Travel with me you will to Kashyyyk, yes?"

"You… uh… me? To Kashyyyk? With you?" Falco stammered in reply.

"Answer you did not," Yoda said wryly, looking up at the flustered boy.

"I… whoa. Like, for real? You'd want me to come with you to Kashyyyk?"

"Tease you I do not, Falco. Come with me you will, yes?" Yoda repeated. His eyes twinkled with amusement at the youngling's startled reaction.

"Um… wow. Of course, Master Yoda! I'll pack my bag tonight!" Falco laughed despite himself, bursting with joy that someone as important as Master Yoda was paying such attention to him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Star Wars: The Unlikely Hero  
**--sparkvallen

_Disclaimer: Star Wars is copyrighted by Lucasfilm and associated companies. __I do not own any of the Star Wars characters, settings, etc. _

**Chapter Five**

Yoda arranged for a shuttle to take Falco and him to Kashyyyk. Though Falco would one day grow up to be a decent pilot, for now he was only a seven-year-old boy. They met at the hangar bay within the Jedi Temple as the Master had requested. Falco sported a backpack containing a change of clothing, a few devices he was tinkering with and his coursework that Yoda had thoughtfully requested from his instructors when the boy had agreed to the trip.

"Come, come! To Kashyyyk we go, hm!" Yoda chortled as he hobbled along on his cane toward the readied shuttle.

Obediently and grinning wildly, Falco followed behind the tiny Jedi Master. He had never been off Coruscant that he could remember. Though he knew he hadn't been born there, Falco had no memory of life prior to the Jedi Temple. He was beaming with excitement that on his first trip out of the Temple was with - of all beings - Yoda.

"Buckle in, you must," Yoda instructed, indicating the crash webbing. He helped Falco into the restraint then strapped himself in beside the youngling.

"You're not flying us there?"

Yoda laughed. "Sit with you, I will! A pilot takes us, yes!"

With a nod to the pilot that worked for the Jedi Order, they earned their clearance to leave the Temple in their ion trails. Moments later, they had their clearance from Naboo as well and they were headed into space. Falco observed everything with wide eyes, absorbing it all and loving every moment. Yoda simply rested in his seat, eyes closed.

Kashyyyk wasn't so far removed from the Galactic Core. Therefore, it was a fairly quick hyperspace journey. Falco had expected that Master Yoda would teach him or ask him to meditate en route to the Wookiee homeworld and was surprised when he did neither. The youngling set to his reading assignments for _Galactic Awareness _and write his essay on Form VI for his lightsaber course while the Jedi Master either meditated or ambled up to the cockpit to speak with their pilot. When they did revert to real-space Yoda and Falco sat together in their seats. Falco quizzed the Jedi Master on every aspect of space flight he could think of as he knew that some day, he'd have a course in how to pilot everything from a speederbike to a landspeeder to a Jedi starfighter. He wanted to know everything he could in advance and ace his courses just as he always did. Amused, Yoda answered what he could and suggested that if there were time later, he could always "interrogate" their pilot for further information.

It took a moment for Falco's legs to adjust to land even though the journey had been only a few hours. He wobbled with his pack on his back as Master Yoda greeted and was greeted by the Wookiee welcome delegation. Falco looked around in awe at the size and width of the wrorshyr trees that stretched higher than he could see into the sky. The Wookiees themselves were incredibly tall compared to the seven-year-old boy and he did his best to not openly gawk at the fur-covered creatures. They snarled and barked in their native Shyriiwook and while Master Yoda responded in Basic, they seemed to communicate easily. Falco understood now the importance of his language courses and why they had to learn so many as he watched the Master speak to the Wookiees with ease - he decided in that moment that even if he could never bark and growl like a Wookiee could, he was going to take the language and master it just because Master Yoda had.

"Introduced you, I have," Yoda said to Falco, smiling at the wonder on the lad's face.

Falco bowed a bit awkwardly with his satchel on his back. The Wookiees nodded in greeting to the Jedi becoming and chuffed at his small stature. The joke was lost on Falco though, not speaking the language yet.

"Bruwarook and Chewbacca, this is," Yoda explained as the two Wookiees began to lead them into their tree village. "Good friends am I with the Wookiees. Find this place fascinating you do…"

"Yes, Master Yoda. I've never been away from the Temple let alone to another world!" he said, his voice full of wonder. "The trees! They're so big! And so are the Wookiees! Like… Master Yoda, can you speak in their language?"

"Shyriiwook? Look I like I would speak their words?" He chuckled. "No, Falco, speak Shyriiwook I do not. Understand it I do, though. Come."

The two Wookiees led them through a vast village built right into the trees. Falco strayed toward the tree-side of each walkway, not wanting to get too close to the edge. He had already realized that he didn't see _anything _below them, and he knew that if he somehow fell, he'd fall a very long way before he landed. That idea chilled him so he was especially careful.

They were led to the chieftain's home within the village, a massive wooden structure that was part-lodge and part-residence for the leader. The outer chamber of the meeting room was adorned with native art, mostly wooden sculptures and carvings. Falco looked at these with interest while Yoda again conversed with Chewbacca and Bruwarook. Yoda nodded as Bruwarook went inside the meeting room, then returned a few moments later and barked that the chieftain was ready to see him.

"Stay out here, you will, Falco," Yoda said. "For your ears the discussion is not."

"Okay, Master."

Falco pulled his backpack off his back and sat down on one of the benches that lined the walls. He rummaged through to the droid arm he'd been toying with; his idea was that if modified correctly, the arm could be a multi-faceted tool better than what came standard on most astromech droids. Using his mini-hydrospanner, Falco went back to the tweaking he'd been working on. So engrossed in his work he was, Falco nearly forget about the Wookiees who'd remained in the outer chamber with him.

Bruwarook chuffed to his counterpart that he was going to head back to his other duties within the village. Chewbacca agreed to stay and escort the Jedi. He came over and sat beside Falco and had to wave his furry paw right under the boy's nose to get his attention.

"Ahh! What'd you do that for!" Falco yelped, banging his head against the log wall behind him in surprise.

Chewbacca chuffed, amused. He growled and asked, What are you working on?

Wide-eyed, Falco remembered that he was their guest and that Wookiees were vegetarians, but seeing the fangs on Chewbacca startled him regardless. "I… um… like, Master Yoda is way better than me. I'm sorry! I don't speak your language."

Chewbacca, like many Wookiees though, understood Basic. Grasping that they had a communication deficit, Chewbacca gestured to the droid arm that Falco had been working on. He growled his query again, then shrugged to try and get the idea across physically.

"Oh! You want to know what I'm working on!" Falco said excitedly. He forgot all about his earlier fright of the Wookiee sitting beside him. "Look! It's just a droid arm, but… well, I think I could make it a lot better. See?"

Falco showed Chewbacca the accessories he was trying to build in the droid arm proudly. The Wookiee snorted and barked, indicating that Falco seemed to be doing good work for one so young. He, of course, didn't understand any of that but was warming up to Chewbacca's presence nevertheless.

Here. Use my hydrospanner, Chewbacca offered, pulling it from a small bag of tools that were slung over his shoulder and across his chest. He indicated what he'd spoken by holding the tool out to Falco and gesturing that he should take it.

"For… for me!" Falco gasped, thinking it was a gift and not a loan.

Chewbacca growled softly, handing it to Falco and then taking it back and pantomiming that he would put it in his bag again.

"Oh! Oh!" Falco blushed. "I get it now! I can borrow it to work with for now! Gee, thanks!"

Taking the hydrospanner back eagerly, Falco set to work on his droid accessory with a far better tool than he'd had to work with previously. Chewbacca sat there to oversee his work and gently make suggestions on how to fuse a few of the small parts more effectively. Falco completely lost track of time as he and the tall Wookiee worked together and Master Yoda did conducted whatever business it was that he had on Kashyyyk.

I wonder if you'd want to take a little trip. And I wonder if Master Yoda wouldn't mind, Chewbacca rumbled softly, speaking to himself. Catching Falco's attention again, he pointed to each of them, then toward the door.

"Um… okay, sure! You want to go somewhere… with me, right?" he asked, making sure he understood. "Okay, yeah! You can… um… lead me around or whatever!"

Chewbacca barked what Falco was beginning to hear was "Yes" even if the rest of the Shyriiwook language was lost on him. Packing up his supplies and handing the hydrospanner back Chewbacca, he stood and watched the tall Wookiee rise to his full height, almost two meters taller than him! He followed Chewbacca back out of the chieftain's residence and onto the wooden walkways that traversed the trees.

He stayed close to the Wookiee, knowing that if he got separated from him, he'd be hopelessly lost. Falco didn't want to embarrass himself or Master Yoda by getting turned around on Kashyyyk where he needed to be rescued; just the same, he had to practically run to keep up with the taller being. Chewbacca walked in silence at what was a slow pace for him even though Falco was having trouble keeping up. They crossed into an area of the village that was clearly their marketplace and Falco stood slack-jawed at the number of vendors who dealt in technology.

"Whoa! Like… this is all for sale?" he breathed, staring down at used droid parts, shells of astromech droids and a variety of other items.

Chewbacca howled with laughter at the boy's enthusiasm and nodded. He guided Falco past many vendors whose tent-like structures promised a myriad of other fascinating gadgets. The Wookiee stopped before a particular seller and said to the other being, This is a Jedi-to-be who is traveling with Master Yoda. I would like him to find something special. He likes to build and work with droids. Do you have anything?

Falco watched the discussion as he eyed the various upgrades for a datapad - he wondered if it might quicken his homework to have a few of these devices. Falco also wondered if he could sell them to his fellow students. The Wookiees conversed for several minutes before the vendor nodded and wandered back into his stall. Falco looked to Chewbacca.

The Wookiee produced a few credits from his pouch and dropped them into Falco's hand. Falco stared back at him. "Uh… I… what are you doing?" he asked.

Chewbacca gestured to the tables. Yes, the credits are for you. Find something you like, whatever will help in your experiments.

It was clear enough to Falco. He more avidly browsed the tables stocked with more than he could have ever dreamed was for sale! Meanwhile the vendor returned and passed off a particular item that Falco didn't see, handing it directly to Chewbacca. Falco found a few items that he thought would be perfect for his droid arm as well as components that he thought _might _work for one of his lightsabers when he was old enough to construct his own.

Beaming and giddy, he paid for the items with the credits from Chewbacca and hugged the Wookiee's leg, not knowing how else to properly give his thanks. Chewbacca again howled with laughter and patted Falco on the head. They made their way back to the chieftain's home with Falco animatedly telling Chewbacca all about the plans he had for his purchases. When they arrived, Yoda and the chieftain were apparently still in their meeting. Chewbacca brought Falco a vegetable to chew on while they waited and the boy passed the remainder of the time in the outer chamber by adding further components to the droid arm.

"Ah! Busy you have been, young Falco!"

He looked up, smiling widely at the Jedi Master. "Chewbacca is great! He helped me buy some parts for my work! And I'm starting to learn the language! I can understand when he says 'yes'!"

"Good, good. Wise as a youngling you are, Falco. Learn the language you should!" Yoda said, pleased.

"I'm working on it! So what now, Master? Is your meeting all finished?"

"Finished it is," he agreed. "Return to Coruscant we must. Ready are you?"

Falco looked up at Chewbacca who towered over him on the bench. "Thanks, Chewbacca," he said. "I have to go now, but I am really glad to meet you! You're my first friend outside the Jedi Temple!"

Chewbacca patted the youngling on the shoulder, happy to have met such an inspired little Jedi-to-be. He barked to Yoda that he had only one more thing to say and do before the Jedi would depart. Yoda nodded and waited patiently. From within his pouch, Chewbacca presented Falco with the one surprise he had procured from the vendor.

This is for you. A gift from one mechanic to another, the Wookiee said, handing Falco the _new _hydrospanner he had purchased for him.

Falco nearly fell off the bench, so surprised and excited by the gift. He gaped and bounced in his seat before jumping up to stand on the bench; Falco hugged Chewbacca tightly, whispering his thanks over and over until the Wookiee had to pry the lad off him.

Yoda also urged Falco that it was time to go. Bowing to Chewbacca, the two Jedi returned to the landing pad where their shuttle awaited. Falco never stopped smiling, this first adventure away from the Temple being more than he ever could have imagined. He clung to the hydrospanner as though it was priceless. And to Falco, it was.


	6. Chapter 6

**Star Wars: The Unlikely Hero  
**--sparkvallen

_Disclaimer: Star Wars is copyrighted by Lucasfilm and associated companies. __I do not own any of the Star Wars characters, settings, etc. _

**Chapter Six**

"So! How was it? What did you learn? What was it like to travel with Master Yoda?" Siri demanded, leaning in close to Falco as she barraged him with questions.

Falco and Yoda had returned to Coruscant in the wee hours of the city-planet's morning. Parting ways at the hangar bay, Falco had gone to the dormitory to catch a few hours sleep before his courses the next day. It was as they sat together at lunch that Siri was finally able to ask her friend about the trip to Kashyyyk.

"It was… um, cool!" he said brightly. "We rode in a shuttle together that a pilot flew for us--"

"Of course."

"--and Kashyyyk is full of these huge trees!"

"Wrorshyr trees," Siris interjected.

"Yeah. And the Wookiees were like… really big and live in tree cities," he went on. "While Master Yoda was talking with the chieftain, I was just, you know, sitting around and playing with my hydrospanner. I… well, this Wookiee, Chewbacca, came and sat with me and we're like… friends now!"

"Really?"

"Uh-huh. So he and I went for a walk and he gave me some credits to buy things at a bazaar! And he got me a new hydrospanner! A real one!"

Siri's expression showed that she didn't seem to think of the trip as nearly as exciting as Falco obviously did. Twitching her snout-like nose, she asked, "So you and Master Yoda didn't actually _do _anything together then?"

The disappointment in her voice was lost on Falco. "Well, we traveled together! He had his meeting to go to so I studied and stuff."

"Oh. I just…"

"What?"

Siri gave a shrug. "I just thought that you were going on a _Jedi _mission together. Like he was prepping you to become his Padawan…"

Falco looked at her wide-eyed. "Master Yoda take _me _as a Padawan Learner? Come _on, _Siri! That's just… silly!"

"That's what some other students are saying around the Temple…"

"What?" Falco frowned.

"That Yoda is preparing you early."

He shook his head. Falco said, "Nah. He just wanted me to come because… well, because… well, I don't know why! But like I expected him to have me meditate or that he'd give me extra lessons while were in the shuttle, but he took a nap! So I did my homework."

A Twi'lek youngling who was older than Falco and Siri overheard their conversation from the next table over. He coughed with derision; the lekku tails twitched. "Listen to him, eh? Being so humble like a good Jedi _Padawan _should…"

Falco stared at the Twi'lek, Gruft, with surprise. "Huh?"

"Oh, listen to you telling Siri that it's _nothing _to go off-planet with Master Yoda as though you're a member of the Council!" Gruft snapped.

"I didn't, I was just--"

"Save it, Falco. We all know you're Master Yoda's golden boy. Just like how Anakin Skywalker became a Padawan without even having to train here like the rest of us, you're practically Yoda's--"

"Master Yoda's," he interrupted.

"--Padawan, and you're not even old enough to be one!" Gruft finished, ignoring Falco's addition of the Jedi Master's honorific.

The little Chadra-Fan leapt out of her chair and advanced on Gruft. "Just leave him alone! You're just jealous because Falco's made _friends _with Master Yoda while you're posturing and trying to look important so that some Knight will take _you _on as a Learner," she hissed. "You're so jealous that it's silly - that's not the way of the Jedi!"

Falco just gaped at his friend as she jumped to his defense. The Twi'lek's lekku twitched showing his annoyance at Siri's fiery speech. Gruft slammed his tray down on the table, stood and marched off. Siri and Falco stared after him as he left the cafeteria then she turned and sat back down.

"Th-thanks, Siri. You really stood up for me."

Siri nodded once. "Gruft was being stupid. Sure, Master Yoda spends a lot of time with you but you just said that it's because he's being friendly toward you and nothing more."

"Still, I-- Well. You didn't have to do that, Siri," Falco said.

She shrugged. "I told you that people are thinking that."

Falco sighed. He picked at the stew before him without saying a word for a few moments. "I can't help if Master Yoda has some reason to talk to me. Or if he wanted me to go to Kashyyyk. Are people going to start hating me because of this?"

"They're going to be as jealous as Gruft just was," she said. "You know that. I guess that's why we're younglings and not Knights, right? Because we're not so trained yet. Just be grateful that Master Yoda is taking an interest in you though. We both know that's pretty rare."

Falco nodded, his expression almost glum given the truths that Siri dished at him.

Several weeks later marked the return of Obi-wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to Coruscant from a mission that had taken them through several systems in the hunt for a demented female scientist intent on picking apart the Force and the Jedi through science. Falco sensed Anakin immediately in _Galactic Awareness _and as he turned to gaze at the seat the older boy had taken in the months previous, the Padawan waved at him enthusiastically.

All Falco could see when he looked at Anakin was the angry boy in his vision. He returned the wave half-heartedly and hoped to avoid the Padawan while he was on Coruscant. That was not to be however. As Falco rushed from Instructor Kel's class, Anakin again hollered up the corridor at him until the youngling _had _to stop lest it be obvious that he was ignoring him.

"Uh, hi. How's it going, Anakin?" Falco asked, nervous.

Smiling, Anakin replied, "I'm good, real good. Master Obi-wan and I just got back to Coruscant. We were on quite the mission."

"That's what I kinda heard. The other students were talking when you first got back," he admitted.

"Oh yeah?"

Falco nodded and looked down at his feet.

"Say, listen. I need a sparring partner for lightsaber practice today. How about you join me?" Anakin suggested, still smiling.

"What?"

Anakin shrugged. "Lightsaber training is one of my favorite things to do. I want to be as good as Master Yoda… _better _than Master Windu some day!"

Falco couldn't figure out how to respond. Apparently Anakin didn't know that at his level, Falco was still in an introductory course _about _the lightsaber. He didn't train with one yet! He felt embarrassed at saying so since Anakin wasn't that much older than him and he was already out on missions with a lightsaber and a Master. _The Chosen One, _Falco remembered. _Of course lightsaber training would be one of his favorite things to do…_

"Um… well, I guess that's a good goal and all, wanting to be as good as the High Council members--"

"Better than," Anakin reminded.

"--but, like… I'm still in the basic lightsaber information course right now, Anakin," he admitted. "I haven't even _used _a lightsaber yet, okay? I can't spar with you."

Anakin stared at him with surprise. "They haven't even let you use one yet?"

Falco shook his head no, mortified at how surprised the Padawan was.

"Not even Master Yoda?"

"You know about my chats with him too?" Falco asked, embarrassed even though Siri had pointed out that he had nothing to be self-conscious about.

"_Everyone _knows. So, Master Yoda hasn't trusted you with a lightsaber yet, even under his instruction?" Anakin repeated.

Falco wondered how this conversation could get any worse. He just wanted to be left alone; he didn't want Anakin the Chosen One pestering him with questions he couldn't answer or teasing him because he wasn't at the same level as a Padawan was.

"No, he hasn't okay? Can you let it go, please?"

Anakin held up his hands. "Okay, sorry! I just thought that maybe we could spar, but if you haven't been trained… hey wait! What if… _I_ gave you a few lessons?"

Falco felt he was on dangerous ground now. He was intrigued by the offer and what was the difference between getting extra training from Master Yoda and getting a little help from Anakin Skywalker? Was there a difference?

"I… um… I might get in trouble for that. I start my lightsaber training class soon, so like… maybe once I learn from an instructor, maybe then I can spar with you, okay?" Falco said.

Anakin's disappointment that Falco had turned him down was evident. Anger passed over his face briefly before he masked his feelings. "Alright. Well, see you around Falco."

And with that, the Padawan was on his way up the corridor. Falco stared after him, feeling very uncomfortable.


	7. Chapter 7

**Star Wars: The Unlikely Hero  
**--sparkvallen

_Disclaimer: Star Wars is copyrighted by Lucasfilm and associated companies.  
__Ido not own any of the Star Wars characters, settings, etc. _

**Chapter Seven**

In the span of three years, the galaxy was becoming an increasingly tumultuous place. Jedi were being called to serve to more and more systems as pressures from the Commerce Guild, the Trade Federation and what was being termed the "Separatist Movement" affected planetary conditions and daily lives. In that same span of years at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, Falco Volt and his best friend Siri Sarae had moved on to the most intense areas of a Jedi students studies; they were old enough to be chosen as Padawan Learners now and focused on their Force skills and lightsaber combat in their spare time. Every generation of Jedi hopeful knew that the Masters observed them everywhere they went within the Temple, especially now that they were of age.

At Yoda's recommendation, Falco began work in the droid and mechanicals repair shop to hone those additional gifts he possessed. He was hardly sleeping as it was with the training schedule he kept but how could he turn down the chance to have actual building and repair work to do? While Falco had hoped beyond hope that all of his time spent with the Jedi Master would yield an apprenticeship to Yoda himself, he saw that for all that training and bonding, Yoda made no mention of such an opportunity. Like every youngling, Falco worried that no Master would select him… that his talents would be "squandered" on the AgriCorps or some other non-Knight area of the path. Worse, Falco feared that Yoda had recommended him to the shop _because _he knew that young Jedi Volt would never become a Jedi Knight.

Falco's best friend Siri told him that his worries were ridiculous, but he dismissed any of her counsel at this point: what could she knosw about his fears? Siri had become a Padawan Learner already! She was off on missions with her Master, a Twi'lek Jedi who had complimentary strengths in diplomacy and mediation like Siri possessed. Remembering the "lecture" that Siri had given in the cafeteria a few years back to a Padawan-hopeful who had been jealous of Falco's relationship to Yoda, he tried his best not to be resentful toward Siri because she'd already achieved the next level of her training. Mostly, he missed her terribly. They'd known each other all their lives, and now, Siri was somewhere across the galaxy while _he _remained at the Temple.

Trying to push the jealousy out of his mind as Siri chirped in his head about letting go of such un-Jedi-like emotions, Falco went about his work. Several younglings stopped in, needing their comlinks repaired - he wondered what in space they did to them all the time? Were there games that involved tossing your comlink off a parapet that he'd never known about in the temple? Falco didn't ask; he just gave each youngling a stern lecture about using the property they were given wisely and sent them on their way. On this particular day, Falco had just sent yet another youngling off who'd managed to corrupt his datapad severely when a seasoned Padawan entered the shop.

"Falco Volt?"

He looked up from his datapad where he'd been logging his tasks for the day. "Um, yeah? I mean… yes? How may I help you?"

"Your presence is requested by Master Yoda. He's in the Room of a Thousand Fountains."

Falco gaped. He nodded quickly and mumbled about how he'd be there faster than a good Kessel run and worked to shut down the droid and repair shop. _Yoda wants to see me. Oh gods, what did I do? Am I in trouble? Oh! Oh! Maybe he's finally going to ask me to be his Padawan Learner! _Falco had to stop himself from thinking before he hyper ventilated - he desperately worked on a calming meditation to slow his heart rate and breathing. Nevertheless, he sprinted through the corridor to the turbolift and stomped impatiently as it seemed even the rapid 'lift system was purposely dragging in order to slow him down. When the doors finally opened again, Falco again rushed down the hallway toward the heralded meditation room. He was _sure _this was the conversation he'd been dreaming of, the conversation that Siri and the other younglings had insisted was coming.

He barely remembered his proper etiquette as he entered the Room of a Thousand Fountains, an elaborate natural and technical system that allowed water fountains to spring from seemingly impossible angles and directions. The gentle spray misted his face as Falco entered, seeking out Yoda. He gulped as he saw him standing with his back to the doorway.

"Master Yoda?" Falco called out, his voice barely a whisper when he'd meant to speak with purpose.

The diminutive Jedi Master turned and beckoned Falco closer. As he approached, he saw that Yoda was seated on a small log that overlooked a stream that crossed through this part of the room. Automatically, he sat down across from the Master and smiled.

"Hello Master Yoda."

"Glad to see you I am, Falco. Good it is that came quickly you did!"

Falco flushed with pride. _He's going to ask me, he's going to ask me… _he kept repeating in his mind, sure that the words were going to come any moment.

"Introduce you to someone, I must," Yoda said, snapping Falco from his dreamy state. He gestured with his cane toward a tall and lean Human male that Falco had failed to notice when he'd entered the meditation room.

"Oh."

The other Jedi approached and bowed to Yoda and Falco. The Padawan-hopeful sprung back onto his feet and returned the bow while Yoda nodded respectfully from his log.

"Um, hello…" Falco said, trying to keep his tone normal.

"You're right, Master. He is like me at that age," the man with the close-cropped dark brown beard said with a smile.

"Sit you both should, Kire and Falco," Yoda said with a knowing smile showing his crooked teeth. They did just that, forming a triangle with Yoda in their seating arrangement. "Falco, introduce you I do to Jedi Knight Kire Finelli. Kire, Falco Volt this is."

After they greeted each other again, it struck Falco that Kire and Yoda had been talking about him. He looked from Master to Knight, hoping they'd explain themselves.

"Working in the shop will Kire be--"

Falco gasped, misunderstanding this statement because he hoped that Yoda's next words would be that Kire was _replacing _him so that he would become Padawan to the High Council leader!

"--teach him you must about your work, so work together you can!" Yoda finished.

The wizened Jedi Master smiled as he watched Falco work through his emotions - from false-hope to confusion and eventually resignation.

"Work together? But you… um, everybody knows that I can handle the shop fine," Falco said. He glanced at Kire Finelli. "No offense, Jedi Finelli."

"None taken, Falco," Kire replied.

Yoda tsk-tsk'd and poked his stick at Falco. "Good you are. Better you would be with a Jedi Knight to work with, hm?"

_Even better with you, Master_, Falco thought.

Kire smiled patiently as he saw the youngling's face radiating disappointment still. He had heard from Yoda himself that Falco had had a special relationship with the Jedi Master and no doubt, Falco had come up here with his expectations raised as tall as the Temple itself.

"Falco, I believe this is my cue." When he looked at Kire, perplexed, the Knight continued. "We were both summoned here because Master Yoda thought _we_ might make a strong Master-Padawan pair and--"

"What?" he gasped, interrupting. "Like, you can't be serious, can you?"

Yoda's ears twitched.

"Falco, yes. I'm serious and so is Master Yoda in this." Kire leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees, getting eye-to-eye with the youngling. "I know we just met, but I have been assigned to work the repair shop with you since I also possess a few good technical tricks up my sleeves."

Falco looked at him, unconvinced.

"I've also heard a lot about you from Master Yoda and he suggested to me that I might consider you for an apprenticeship," Kire concluded. He leaned back and smiled.

"But--!" Falco sighed and looked at Yoda, who shook his head no.

"Train you formally I cannot. Other duties that take my time, I have," he said. "A fine Padawan Learner you would be, Falco, but with me, impossible it is."

Falco dropped his chin onto his chest, trying to calm down. This was a nightmare! He'd hoped for years to be Yoda's Padawan and now the Master was pawning him off on some unknown Jedi Knight! He _knew _Yoda was a busy Jedi. How could he no be? Younglings were aware of the state of the galaxy even if they never went on field missions and Yoda did lead the Jedi Council. But…

"Why don't Falco and I take some time to get to know each other?" Kire suggested. "Perhaps we could go out for a bite to eat outside the Temple?"

"A sound plan this is, Kire," Yoda said. He looked to Falco. "Dine with him, you will."

"Yes, Master," Falco replied, still glum.


	8. Chapter 8

**Star Wars: The Unlikely Hero  
**--sparkvallen

_Disclaimer: Star Wars is copyrighted by Lucasfilm and associated companies. __I do not own any of the Star Wars characters, settings, etc. _

**Chapter Eight**

After a languorous dinner at a crowded and - to Falco - exciting diner far from the Jedi Temple, the student grilled his would-be master on a variety of technical topics. Falco Volt wanted to ensure Kire Finelli was as adept as Yoda had claimed with technology and repair work. The Jedi Knight bore Falco's scrutiny well, remaining patient as the boy approached the entire matter of a Padawanship with serious discussion. Once they'd returned to the familiarity of the Temple, Falco then asked for a demonstration of Kire's abilities. After successfully repairing an astromech that he had been working on for the hangar bay, Volt was suitably impressed. He allowed then for a more philosophical discussion, exploring the Force together before Finelli had again approached the topic of becoming his apprentice. Falco agreed, confident that if he could not train with Master Yoda, his destiny was still in good hands.

For all that it was said that Kire Finelli had come from doing the field work of a Jedi Knight, he and Falco remained largely at the Temple. At first, other than having someone else to work with in the repair shop, Falco thought that his situation was no different than the time prior to meeting the Knight in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. He had expected to live the life of Padawan Skywalker, traveling the galaxy on important missions with his master or at least training beyond the confines of the Temple; in this, Falco was sorely disappointed. While his sleeping arrangements changed to have a more private room adjacent to Kire's on a higher level in the complex and he had begun to grow his Padawan's braid, he still felt very much like one who might never become a _Knight _at all. Of course, none of this was spoken to his master. Falco understood that it was all a matter of patience and he did his very best to emulate Kire's manner of accepting what came at him daily… even if it was the usual comlink and droid repairs. Only after several weeks of working side-by-side with Kire did Falco begin to appreciate the change in his experience. Kire didn't teach him directly; there were no assignments save those that he still had to work on for an occasional course or seminar with another instructor. Instead, Kire's style was conversational, subtle. Falco realized he had to listen to learn because the lessons came as they experienced life together.

Their first mission together as Master and Padawan began with a summons from the Jedi Council early one evening. Kire's comlink had chirped with a message that requested their joint presence and he'd donned his outer woven brown robe. Falco did the same, staring wide-eyed at his Master.

"The… the Council? Like… are you sure you want to bring me in there with you?" Falco asked.

Kire was already well-used to Falco's self-doubts. He placed an assuring hand on the Padawan's shoulder. "Yes, I'm positive. Are you sure you want to be seen in there with me?"

"Yeah, right," he replied as though _that _was a concern.

The bearded Jedi and his ten-year-old Padawan made their way from their quarters - where they had been previously engaged in a game of dejarik - to the outer chamber of the Jedi Council room. It was a place within the Temple that Falco had never visited despite all the time he'd spent talking with and quietly working with Yoda. He was nearly trembling as they waited to be received and more than once Kire had to remind him of a Calming Meditation to soothe his nerves.

The twin copper hued doors slid open to admit Kire and Falco. They walked in together, Falco moving at a half-step behind his master in order to follow his lead. They stepped into the exact center of the room and Falco breathed an awestruck "Whoa…" when he saw what a view the windows of the Council room had of Coruscant. He was so stunned that it took a patient nudge from Kire to remind him to bow to the Masters of the Order. A murmur of laughter erupted from the High Council to see a new Padawan's reaction. Of the twelve members of the Council, there were only a half dozen assembled.

Falco smiled at Yoda who returned the gesture with a sage nod. He did not speak, though; it was the brown-skinned Master Mace Windu who served as the co-leader of the High Council alongside Yoda who addressed them instead. Windu gave no introduction or greeting but instead proceeded straight to the matter.

"Jedi Finelli, Padawan Volt, as you know, Chad is a swampy world that is nearly three-fourths water. The Chadra-Fan people have dealt with the rising waters and flooding that their homeworld is prone to, at the cost of their very lives."

_Chad! That's where Siri was born! _Falco thought excitedly. Even though she'd only lived on Chad in her infancy, he was still surprised and excited to know that was where his mission would take place.

"Chad runs an elliptical orbit, one that confounds science," Windu went on, "but recently, the flood waters have risen so high, the Chadra-Fan people facenear-extinction. Your mission is to travel to Chad and organize disaster relief efforts to evacuate the citizens to their recently settled moon until the waters settle. Do you have any questions?"

Kire shook his head no but Falco meekly raised his hand.

"Yes?" Mace asked, raising an eyebrow at the boy.

"Shouldn't Siri and her Master go on this mission since she's from Chad? I mean, I'm not complaining or anything but--"

"Ah, your friend she is!" Yoda said, immediately remembering the Chadra-Fan friend of Falco's. "True it is that from Chad she comes, but dangerous for Siri it would be to involve herself in this, yes."

"So we get to go instead?" Falco asked, dumbfounded. He misunderstood Yoda's mention of danger for physical danger and not emotional concerns for Siri.

"Assist the Chadra-Fan you will. Good lesson for you this will be."

"We'll be alright, Falco," Kire said, catching his Padawan's drift.

"A shuttle will be ready when you are prepared to depart," Windu said, concluding the brief meeting. "May the Force be with you."

"And with you," Kire and Falco said simultaneously. They bowed and exited.

Once outside the copper doors, Falco smacked his palm against his forehead and stared up apologetically at Kire. His agitation was clear and it took the Jedi Knight a few moments of silence before his Padawan could bring himself to speak. They boarded the turbolift that would take them back down to the Archives.

"I'm so sorry! I… see? I _told_ you that you shouldn't have taken me in there!" Falco exclaimed.

Kire folded his arms across his chest, blue eyes gazing down at him. "Falco, what do you think went on in there?"

"I know what happened! I was stupid! Asking dumb questions of the High Council and--"

"You questioned a mission in order to gain clarification and information about our objectives," Kire interrupted, offering a different point of view. "I couldn't have been more pleased."

Falco blinked. "What? Are you serious?"

"Am I ever anything less than serious?"

At this, the Padawan laughed. He knew first hand what a jokester Kire could be, having been the victim of his practical jokes quite often. Falco was just getting the hang of getting his master back with little tricks and even in this, Kire was teaching him to think outside the cargo container to find new and creative ways of doing things.

"So you're not mad at me?"

"Hardly," Kire said, smiling. "It's good to question even the High Council. They are the wisest of the Order but learning more about the decisions they make is a good thing."

* * *

Master and Padawan spent the remainder of their evening in the Archives, learning and downloading everything they'd need to know about Chad and its peculiar orbit and weather problems. They learned that - just as Mace Windu had said - it ran an elliptical orbit and seasonally, the planet was prone to severe flooding. This was a large scale issue when the planet was mostly water-based. The Chadra-Fan lived in bayous primarily and most of the mainland was a marsh. Kire was able to bring up information from the HoloNet about the peoples' own efforts at evacuation and was appalled to see how poorly the work had gone. They surely needed the Jedi's influence and experience in rescues in order to get people to safety.

Kire and Falco retired to their adjacent quarters for a night of deep sleep before departing the following morning. Though Falco had been trained from his courses to know what sort of gear to pack and how to travel light, Kire still helped him in putting together a satchel of supplies and foodstuffs that would get them through the mission. Falco was also sure to pack his dissolvable vitamin packets; all he'd need was water in order to get the nutrients he needed and Chad had nothing at all if not water!

Instead of a shuttle as the High Council had stated, they were to depart in a modified Jedi Starfighter. The cockpit was cramped to accommodate two but serviceable enough. Kire insisted that Falco sit in the first seat, offering a greater view, and he sat behind him even though it put more of the controls in his Padawan's hands.

"Take her out slowly," Kire guided verbally. "Easy on the yoke… there you go… that's it…"

"Whoa." Falco stared straight ahead, smiling broadly as he piloted on his own for the very first time.

"You can see the ring we've been designated on your display. Good. Now guide the ship toward it…"

Falco did as he was told, his hand steady despite his nerves at this new test. There was a _thunk! _as he fit the starfighter into is clamps. Knowing what came next, Falco ensured the ship itself was ready for a hyperspace journey and on Kire's mark rocketed them into lightspeed.

The journey itself was uneventful though it was remarkable to Falco because _he _had been the captain for their journey. He didn't have much time to dwell on that though because his Master had them both meditate throughout the hyperspace journey. They came back to normal consciousness as the system alerted them to it being time to return to regular space.

"This is Jedi Starfighter 2KL003," Kire announced over the comm. to Chad's authorities. "Permission to land."

There was a pause then the distinctive tone of a Chadra-Fan's accented Basic which came over their earpieces as a screeching voice. With clearance to land on the main marshy continent, Falco brought the fighter down with Kire's guidance. The touchdown was a little rough and the R2 unit attached to the starfighter whined in protest but Falco didn't bother to read the translation on his display; he was relieved enough to have brought them down in one piece on his first time out.

"You see? I told you that you could do it!" Kire said as they raised the canopy.

"I wouldn't take such chances if I were you," Falco quipped in reply, smiling.

Climbing out of the Jedi Starfighter, Kire took the lead as the Chadra-Fan reception party met with them. He bowed and Falco matched him as the duo returned the gesture.

"Jedi Finelli and Volt?"

"We are," Kire said. "You both must be the Ambassadors Serry and Forty?"

"Yes," they said in unison. "We are glad you are here. Please, this way."

Falco had to smile at seeing Chadra-Fan on their homeworld. He'd only known Siri so it was interesting to see how they acted together. Siri wasn't kidding when she'd said that her people were very social and couldn't do anything alone. It was clear in the activities he observed as they walked with the two ambassadors.

"The main problem we have here is that people do not want to leave. There are those who feel that the floodwaters will subside and would prefer to stay in their homes," Serry explained. "Our moon shuttles have been flying at far less than capacity which wastes fuel even though we need to evacuate those who've gone willingly."

"Was this evacuation made mandatory?" Kire asked.

"It was," Forty replied. His voice was far screechier than Serry's. "However, some are resisting."

"But what do we do?" Falco finally asked. "Force people out and to the shuttles?"

Kire gave a roguish smile behind his beard. "Worst case scenario, Padawan."

"Good."

"We'll direct you to the areas with the highest concentration of people who are resisting and provide you with a droid as well to help with translation. I don't believe either of you speak our native tongue, do you?" Serry asked.

Kire looked to Falco who answered for them. "No, sorry. My best friend is a Chadra-Fan but she only spoke Basic."

"Who is she?"

"Padawan Siri Sarae," he said, smiling fondly to think of her.

"Sarae? I know of the family. Good stock," Forty said. "The droid should be able to answer any questions you might have as well. Thank you for coming and… good luck."


	9. Chapter 9

**Star Wars: The Unlikely Hero  
**--sparkvallen

_Disclaimer: Star Wars is copyrighted by Lucasfilm and associated companies. __I do not own any of the Star Wars characters, settings, etc. _

**Chapter Nine**

The Chadra-Fan had constructed a network of catwalks that ordinarily lifted people above the bogs but with the flooding, most of these were either washed out or flooded enough to make little difference. The Jedi were quickly covered in mud and dirty water as they slogged through the muck.

"I don't know, Master. I think if I like… lived on this planet, I would have moved to the moon a long time ago, you know?" Falco remarked. He reached out to the support rail before he tripped and lost his balance. He was wet enough without falling into the ankle-deep water.

"Some say the same thing about the Temple, Falco," Kire joked.

"Nah. Only problem there is the food. There's a reason why I've taken to the vitamin packets."

"Here are two homes. Since we don't have much time, why don't you speak to one family and I'll speak to another."

"Um, actually I--"

"Remember that the objective is to convince them that they should evacuate for personal safety," Kire went on without acknowledging Falco's protest. "The shuttles are readied and they can return when the waters subside."

"But I--"

"May the Force be with you, Padawan." Kire said it in such a way to halt any further comments from Falco.

With a nod, the young Padawan went up to the second house and knocked on the door. Falco stood there feeling nervous and silly with the task he'd been charged with; a shout through the door startled him.

"WE'RE NOT LEAVING! YOU CAN JUST GO!"

"Um… like, I'm sure you have your reasons, but…" Falco made a face at the door, trying to think of what to say, "…well, I'm a Jedi. Can I at least talk to you without talking _through _the door?"

There was a soft _hiss _as the door slid open to reveal a Chadra-Fan family peering out at him. "You look too young to be a Jedi," the first, a male, observed.

Falco blushed. "I'm in training," he clarified. "Um… yeah. Do you know that you're about to be like… flooded out of here?"

"We're aware of the flooding," the male said.

"Um… not to be rude, but do you really want to live underwater or something?" he asked. His eyebrow raised in question.

"None of your business!" twin children cried out from behind their parents.

Falco thought that declaration was the strangest thing he'd ever heard. Stranger than Anakin offering him sparring lessons, stranger than the time another Jedi trainee had offered him a few credits if he'd eat Ronto stew and finish the bowl. Falco wondered how the children could possibly agree - why would any of them want to stay with the risk?

Cocking his head to the side, Falco looked at the family in confusion. He leaned against the door frame and suddenly asked, "You're not related to the Sarae's, are you?"

The male sniffed suspiciously at the Padawan. "Why do you ask that?"

"I… well… you remind me of my best friend. Jedi Siri Sarae," he said. "She… well, she grew up in the Temple but she was from Chad… and I just… well, you just reminded me of her, sorta."

"You know our Siri?" The female and the one Falco figured must be the mother of the family approached him cautiously.

"Uh-huh. She's my best friend at the Jedi Temple. I've known her all my life!"

The family grimaced and smiled with joy seemingly all at once. "We haven't seen her since--"

"Since she went to the Temple," Falco said, understanding. "Like how I never knew my parents. Well… yeah, she's a great person. Really nice and she helps me a lot!"

"Why didn't she--"

"That's what I wondered too. I mean, wouldn't it make sense for a Chadra-Fan Jedi to come to Chad because of the flood? But sometimes, the Council has ways of… deciding who goes on what missions." Falco paused, his mind whirling as inspiration struck. "But… I'm sure that Siri would want her birth family to get out of harm's way," he said. "Like… she might've come on this mission and you wouldn't have told your own Jedi daughter that you're going to stay and brave the flood, would you?"

The family members looked to each other, considering the Padawan's words. Falco waited, trying not to fidget or look too nervous. He hoped they'd agree with his logic, not wanting to face Siri and have her know that her birth family was swept away by a flood because he couldn't help them see they needed to evacuate! He thought that was about the worst thing that could ever happen!

"We will take a relief shuttle up to the moon, thank you," Siri's parents said in unison. "For our daughter, wherever in the galaxy she is…"

Falco breathed a huge sigh of relief. He offered them all a formal bow and went on to explain how the evacuation process was to work. The Sarae family quickly gathered the belongings they were allowed to take with them to the shuttle, mostly clothing and freeze-dried foodstuffs that were Chadra-Fan delicacies. He watched as they took the path up to the shuttle then waited for his Master. Kire Finelli stepped out of the residence he'd appealed to with the family just behind him; they were also convinced they needed to evacuate thanks to the Jedi Knight's powers of persuasion.

"Well, Padawan?"

"Siri's family! And yes! They agreed to go to the shuttle," Falco said proudly.

"Huh." Kire smiled, amused at how the Force worked, guiding his apprentice to the home of his best friend's family. "Let's move on to the next homesteads…"

Working together at some homes and independently at others, Kire and Falco worked to convince the Chadra-Fan people to evacuate. There were some who completely refused and forced the Jedi out of their homes; in those cases, they could only move on and hope that the flood waters didn't reach these residents. Master and Padawan were exhausted from hiking over the soggy land and working with the families over many, many hours. As they hiked from one homestead to the next in the lowlands, Falco brought up one issue that seemed to keep coming up from the families.

"Master Kire, have you like… noticed how the families are saying this kind of flooding just isn't right?" He frowned and stepped around a puddle that was quickly growing into a lake all its own. "They all know that Chad floods because of gravity pulls, but no one thinks it right that it's flooding now. Like this."

Kire nodded wearily. "I've thought the same, Falco, based on what I've heard. Hopefully we'll have the opportunity to learn more about this. In the meanwhile, keep your awareness sharp."

Falco nodded, trying to figure out what to look for as they progressed through the swampy terrain.


	10. Chapter 10

**Star Wars: The Unlikely Hero  
**--sparkvallen

_Disclaimer: Star Wars is copyrighted by Lucasfilm and associated companies. __I do not own any of the Star Wars characters, settings, etc. _

**Chapter Ten**

By the time the Chadra-Fan ambassadors had caught up with the Jedi again, the duo had convinced as many as they possibly could within the lowlands to evacuate. They were headed back to the spaceport when both parties met.

"You have done wonders!" Ambassador Serry exclaimed. Forty nodded his agreement.

"Thank you," Kire said, speaking for them both. "Is there any other location we can assist at?"

Both Chadra-Fan shook their heads, their large ears twitching. "This was the most difficult… and stubborn area, thank you. We are wondering though if you could stay on-planet just a little longer to assist with something else."

_Yeah, _why_ it's flooding_, Falco thought.

Forty said exactly what the Padawan had been expecting to hear, explaining that neither their geologists nor their meteorologist natives could make sense of the situation. He went on to elaborate upon rumors of some sort of trickery that no one could prove in the rush to evacuate. He impressed upon the Jedi that if there were any secret plot to be uncovered, they were the best trained and prepared to deal with such a threat. Kire and Falco exchanged bemused glances; they were technology freaks who were hardly the crime investigation types like Obi-Wan Kenobi had been with his master, Qui-Gon Jinn. Still, they were already on Chad and had wondered the very same thing.

"We will look into this rumor, Ambassadors," Kire said to their relief.

"Where will you start?" Serry asked.

Falco bit his lower lip, lost in thought. "Your people already know there's no historical basis for this, right? No other time in Chad's history where there has been flooding to this extent?"

"This is correct."

Kire looked on as Falco began exploring the situation through questions. "Has Chad remained loyal to the Republic with everything that's going on?"

"Of course!" Forty squealed, his Basic strained.

Kire nudged Falco through the Force. It was the same as tapping a non-Jedi on the shoulder to get their attention. The Padawan was subtle enough to not blurt out, "What!" at the nudge but instead paid even better attention if there was something his Master had noticed just then.

"Don't be upset - we just have to think about everything here," Falco said reassuringly. "After all, dark times are affecting… like the whole galaxy!"

"There is no problem, Jedi Volt! We just know that Chad is very loyal to the Republic!"

Falco nodded, almost feeling bad for having posed the question at all. The look on his Master's face though puzzled Falco even more; he could see there was something in Kire's expression that he was supposed to understand but the Jedi Knight was not speaking to him through the Force to explain. When Kire still did not speak up, Falco addressed the ambassadors again.

"Can you get us a speeder, please? This mission might take us out of the immediate area, you know?" he asked politely. "And a map! Or at least an on-board map so we don't get lost! Thanks. Also… some sort of direct connection to Chad's political library--"

"But we're not--"

"_Just in case, please."_ Kire's tone was far too soft and commanding all at once. Falco whirled around to look at him, realizing he'd just used a Jedi Mind Trick on Serry before he could protest further.

_Okay, wow, _the Padawan thought.

"Thank you," he added. "That should be all we need right now."

"Right away then!" Forty and Serry said at the same time. They scurried off, their robes soaked from their knees down on their much shorter bodies.

Falco turned to Kire and looked up at him. "Okay, what was the nudge for? I'm sorry; I don't understand."

Kire crouched down to his Padawan's eye-level, taking care to gather his sodden robes about him so they didn't get any wetter. "You had an insightful theory there and I was congratulating you for the realization."

Falco's eyes widened. "What'd I realize?"

"The Separatist connection."

"Huh? Oh, you mean the question about loyalty to the Republic?" Falco asked. "But I didn't mean anything by it. Like… I was just quizzing them and trying to think."

"And in so doing, you prompted a thought for me that's worth our exploration," the Knight said patiently. "We are good with mechanicals and computers but the answer here lies in what people are doing, what nature is doing."

"But people can't make it flood without using technology," Falco pointed out.

"Another excellent point." He nodded, looking down at the murky waters at their feet. Kire guided Falco up to a drier point of the catwalk. "Let's see what we can find here on Chad that's making it flood… and why."

In a rusty and worn speeder, Master and Padawan rocketed over the swampy conditions that seemed to cover every inch of land on Chad. With Falco once again at the controls, Kire was free to quickly assess the databases the ambassadors had managed access for at Falco's request. While Falco was driving them around and searching for any others who could be persuaded to head to the evacuation shuttles, Kire was poring over Senate proceedings, trying to see if the Chad senator had created any determined enemies through his voting process. He found nothing.

Thinking of Falco's accidental question of loyalties, Kire began looking at Chad strategically. If the Separatists might someday plan to secede, he wondered what political or technological advantage there was to the bog-like world. Still, there was nothing that Kire could directly link to which was perplexing; he was sure his Padawan was onto something, intentional or not.

Suddenly, Falco pulled over off of what was left of the roadway.

"What is it?"

"This way." Falco leapt from the idling speeder and began trudging his way over the swampy land. His expression was full of determination, sensing something that Kire did not.

Kire climbed out and hurriedly followed his Padawan, trying to get a sense of what had caught the boy's attention.

"Here. Lookie what we have here!"

Kire stared in surprise at the data-crunching box-shaped droid that was plugged into a remote computer system. "Falco… how did you--?"

"Sensing energy, sensing the Force. You know, like how we're taught?" Falco smiled as though it were perfectly obvious.

"But the Force is part of life," Kire said, wondering why he was lecturing the Padawan at all.

"These are alive. In their own way," he insisted. "You have to listen with another part of your mind, trust me."

Kire just stared.

"I wonder what this little guy is up to…" Falco looked away from his master to focus on the droid before him.

He bent down to study the computer arm that came from inside his hull and plugged him into whatever network he was accessing. It was clear that the droid's AI was so low that he had no idea that the two Jedi were standing over him. The "trick" was going to be gaining access to the droid's brain _or _finding some means to learn what he was doing.

"We have to make sure he doesn't stop what he's doing," Kire reminded gently. "Whoever set this droid out here would know if--"

"--his work suddenly stopped. I know." Falco grinned and pulled out his pocket datapad. He opened up the adapter and punched a few commands into the datapad, ensuring that his own data wouldn't be lost in this effort.

"The plan?"

Falco couldn't believe Kire was really trusting him to handle this when he was the more experienced. He tried not to beam with pride and instead just do the job. "Add my datapad as a peripheral device, programmed to record the droid's instructions and progress."

"You can manage all that?"

Falco's smile widened as he looked up at his Master. "How do you think the cafeteria menu was set to such good food for so many days in a row?"

"You!"

"I had run this same program as an experiment on the cafeteria droids. Learn their instructions and progress. In that case I just… well, modified those instructions a little."

Kire shook his head, shocked and amused. "It was a good trick… now get going then!"

"On it."

Falco turned back to the droid and inserted the adapter end of his datapad into the peripheral sockets of the box-like droid. He smiled with satisfaction when the datapad wasn't rejected and could only sit back and wait while it gathered the information they needed.


	11. Chapter 11

**Star Wars: The Unlikely Hero  
**--sparkvallen

_Disclaimer: Star Wars is copyrighted by Lucasfilm and associated companies. __I do not own any of the Star Wars characters, settings, etc. _

**Chapter Eleven**

Falco and Kire stared at the younger man's datapad, trying to make sense of the information it had collected from the droid. The Padawan sighed at the level of encryption they faced; there was more to this than they had the resources for being out in the swamp. He had hoped that by harvesting the data, they would have the secret to the mysterious flooding. However, there was no way to learn what information the droid was working with.

"Perhaps we could trace the information back to its root?" Kire suggested.

"That… might work. Let me see what I can do."

Falco turned back to the droid and plugged his datapad back in. They waited again as he gathered information then withdrew the device from the droid. Falco held the display up for his Master, a question in his eyes. Kire scanned the dataflow and raised a dark brown eyebrow.

"Southern continent."

"Didn't we read that there's very little down there?"

"We did," Kire replied. "So it makes me wonder what this little droid is really receiving and processing…"

Both Jedi gazed down at the box-shaped droid thoughtfully.

"Think it relates to the flooding?" Falco asked.

Kire nodded, his gaze remaining on the droid. "What does the Force tell you?"

"That we're taking a little trip…"

They slogged their way back to the landspeeder, Kire taking the controls this time. Falco sat down beside him, leaning his head back against the headrest and closing his eyes. Kire saw his Padawan's exhaustion clearly; he knew that if the path led them to the Separatists or some other considerable foe, they were going to need all their energy.

"Rest."

"But Master Kire--"

"No. Rest, Falco. I'll wake you if I need you, but I'm going to need you at your best when we reach the source of this transmission," he insisted.

Falco nodded wearily, closing his eyes again. He quickly fell into a deep sleep, using resting meditations that he'd learned at the Temple. Kire proceeded on, his eyes on the watery roadways, his senses tuned into the Force for guidance. Chad seemed well and truly abandoned now, the Chadra-Fans evacuated to their moon while the Jedi remained behind, trying to learn why the floods had taken such a violent turn this season.

It was a several day journey, having to navigate slowly through some regions as Kire took them toward Chad's southern continent. Falco and Kire took turns driving so they could each regain their strength and alertness, sharing the rations they'd packed in their mission packs. Master and Padawan spoke of the mission, their lives and continued to grow as friends in the "downtime." The beacon that was set in Falco's datapad showed them their course and how far they were from this mysterious source.

Kire halted the speeder several kilometers from the site, not wanting to catch any possible patrols. Stashing the vehicle into a mostly-ruined structure, damaged from the floodwaters, they trudged their way over the wet surface toward what was clearly a base of operations of some sort. They could feel more life forms here than there was supposed to be in this region; Kire picked up a sense of purpose, deadly purpose in fact. Glancing at Falco, he could see his Padawan wasn't attuned to the Force this deeply.

"Be mindful, Padawan. We are going to learn exactly what is going on here then report back to the Council."

"Master?" Falco asked.

"Yes, Falco?"

"Is it that bad?"

Kire nodded. "I think so, Padawan. I think so. There _are_ forces at work here, so we must be cautious."

Falco set his face to a look of grim determination. They made their way closer to the facility, watching foot patrols and taking care to dodge them.

"Neimoidians," Kire whispered.

Falco nodded at the sight of the leathery-faced aliens. They didn't need to communicate how serious this was to find the submissive but subversive aliens on Chad; the Neimoidians had been instrumental in the blockade of Naboo; that had brought Anakin Skywalker to the Jedi, but cost them Qui-Gon Jinn. It had also brought about further galactic troubles and they were realizing that Chad's flooding was likely a part of that as well.

"Do we infiltrate, Master Kire?"

Kire paused, studying the patrols and considering the question. "We _could _return now and simply report this. It would be enough for the Council to go to Chancellor Palpatine. But the Neimoidians would cause troubles in the Senate and slow any action that the Republic could take against… this," he said with a frown. "If we could work our way in and find _something _that proves they're involved in the flooding problem that would help immeasurably."

"Then let's… let's do it!"

"Falco…"

The Padawan thought of every household they couldn't convince to evacuate. What would be their fate if the Senate was bogged down in rhetoric and procedure? These were people who could be Siri's relatives and it didn't matter if _she _had never known them; they were people who needed safety.

"We have to, Master. There are too many here who will suffer if we let the Senate discuss this… like… forever!" Falco said, explaining what he was thinking.

"You have a good heart, Padawan."

In hushed tones, they worked out a plan that would get them into the facility. Waiting for the next patrol to pass, the two Jedi moved as the troops passed them by, charging for the base, sticking to the trees for cover. Kire used the Force to quickly disable the door's lock, drawing on his technical skill. It worked immediately and the two were on the inside. With it being Falco's first mission, Kire wasn't keen on the idea of them separating; he trusted his apprentice but thought it best they stay together. He kept his hand near his lightsaber, ready to draw it if needed. They both hoped though that they could slip in and out unnoticed.

"We need a terminal. Hopefully someone's with rank so we'll have the clearance we need," Kire whispered.

Falco nodded but didn't respond, letting his instincts guide him through the base. They were fortunate in dodging Battle Droids that patrolled inside the building as well as the occasional Neimoidians. He simply trusted that Kire was behind him as he sought out the workspace they needed to complete their mission. Falco heard a muffled sound behind him but thought that his Master had simply coughed.

"Here we are… I think this will work fine," the Padawan said, gesturing to the chair so that Kire could sit. He turned around and gasped.

"So sorry, Falco!"

"Forty! What in space are you doing in here and where's Master Kire!" he all but shouted.

The little Ambassador's ears twitched and he signaled the Battle Droids that had previously taken Kire Finelli captive. They circled Falco and the boy's eyes widened as he realized that they'd been betrayed and tricked.

"What have you done with my Master!"

"He is well and you will be too as long as you don't resist," Forty said with no sense of sorry in his voice at all.

"So you're involved in this!"

It wasn't a question and the Chadra-Fan nodded. The guards tightened their perimeter.

"Please hand over your lightsaber, Jedi Volt," Forty said.

Falco thought of his Master locked away somewhere and tried to quickly decide what was best. Be captured as well and then work together for their escape _or _make a stand and rescue Kire?

"I don't think so." Falco took a deep breath and drew on the Force, trying to use his skills in the ways that Kire had shown. _"You will call off these troops and lead me to Jedi Finelli."_

"I will… hey! No cheating tricks like that!" Forty cried out, genuinely shocked and seemingly hurt by the attempt.

_Drat_, the Padawan thought. He drew his lightsaber instead, the blue blade snapping to life and startling Forty out of his path. The droids were programmed to know the lightsaber as an offensive symbol and opened fire. Falco was a second faster, dropping to the floor and throwing his dueling arm out wide, slicing several of the droids' legs out from under them. Those he couldn't reach, he simply backed into, throwing them off-balance. Falco snarled, determined to survive this, twisting around to lie on his back and slice at the blasters rifles, disabling them.

He hurried to stand, and the droid parts scattered around his feet. Forty had run off in fright which was both a good thing and a bad thing as far as Falco was concerned. He didn't want to have to face the traitorous Chadra-Fan but he knew that the Ambassador could also bring the rest of the base down on him.

"Hurry, man, hurry."

Falco threw himself at the workstation he'd found, rapidly downloading everything he could to his datapad. Klaxons sounded and he knew he was out of time. Falco ran down an unfamiliar corridor, trying to quell his panic in order to touch the Force and find Kire. As he tried to breathe and find his focus, he immediately sensed his Master's presence.

_/Falco/_

He gasped as he ran, ducking down another corridor in order to try and throw the skinny Battle Droids that were coming after him. Falco felt his Master in his mind and honed in on that sensation as he moved down one hall after another; he let the Force and Kire's presence guide him to the office that had been improvised into his prison cell. Battle Droids guarded the office door and Falco considered how to best manage this. He had been lucky by surprising their programming before; with these, it would be a head-on attack, stepping right into their line of fire and he wasn't sure he could pull that off.

He felt Kire's awareness that he'd arrived. Their minds' linked; they drew on their technological strength, pulling apart the droids with their connection to the Force. They exploded in a shower of shrapnel and light and Kire opened the door with similar ability.

"Thanks, Falco…"

"Anytime, Master. I've… well, I got what we needed. I think." He paused, realizing he didn't quite know that - he'd had time to download, not monitor what he was getting. "I hope."

"Good. Let's go."

Intuitively, Kire led them through sub-hallways for service work. He was headed toward the base's hangar, figuring that their speeder would be too hard to reach, especially as he learned from Falco that at least Ambassador Forty was involved in this. Kire had to thank the Force that the landspeeder hadn't been sabotaged - why had Forty allowed them to search for the source of the flooding based on the rumors anyway? Was he trying to tip off the Jedi to the actual problem? Or trying to eliminate them?

"This way…"

Falco followed on his Master's heels. They reached the hangar and ran into a patrol that expected them, now that the base was on alert. Twin lightsaber blades came to life again and they charged the nearest shuttle. Kire worked to help cover Falco who was good but still less experienced in actual combat. Falco sprinted up the ramp and made for the cockpit, slapping down on the power controls to bring up the weapon's system while the ship itself warmed up. Kire raised the ramp and rushed to the cockpit beside his apprentice, pleased at Falco's attention to detail, giving them defenses.

"What about our ship?"

"The Council can send a recon team if this base doesn't blow it out of space," Kire said.

"Oh."

"Luckily we picked a shuttle that'll go green quickly… and there it is. Strap in, Falco. We're headed back to Coruscant _now_."

At that, Kire rocketed the shuttle out of the hangar and made for space over Chad. He could hardly believe what had happened; the Jedi Knight still couldn't make sense of the betrayal and Falco was similarly mystified. Their escape was quick enough that the Neimoidians hadn't had time or the ability to scramble fighters to stop them. The shuttle calculated its jump and rocketed into lightspeed.


	12. Chapter 12

**Star Wars: The Unlikely Hero  
**--sparkvallen

_Disclaimer: Star Wars is copyrighted by Lucasfilm and associated companies. __I do not own any of the Star Wars characters, settings, etc. _

**Chapter Twelve**

The debriefing for the mission to Chad took the better part of a day. Even more than the "natural" disaster on Chad, the HoloNet had gone crazy with the news of a "stolen" shuttle piloted by a pair of Jedi who'd not had any clearance to fly. It was a public relations disaster in spite of what Kire and Falco had learned on the Chadra-Fan homeworld. The Council members questioned them separately, comparing their answers and stress levels as the details were all recorded forever in the Archives. Unprepared for the drama that had come from the mission, Falco thought he was going to hyper-ventilate from panic that he'd failed completely. He feared that the Council would change their mind about him, that they'd decide he'd failed both Kire and Yoda and would be shipped off to the AgriCorps.

However, when the debriefing was complete, Kire and Falco were free to retire to their chambers with downtime granted for rest and recuperation. Even though the mission proved that the galaxy was far more unstable than the Jedi Council had realized, Kire was still pleased with his Padawan's innovation and skill in the field. For it being Falco's first mission, Kire saw it as a definite success. They had come through unscathed and had uncovered the truth.

And yet, this proved to be Falco's first and only mission off Coruscant. For reasons unknown to Kire and Falco, the Council used them only for missions on-planet and more often than not, they remained at the Temple itself. They studied and trained hard together despite the lack of field experience. However, as the years went by, Falco's resentment toward "The Chosen One" grew as the similarly talented Anakin was sent on mission after mission with his Master. The unruly Padawan was making quite a name for himself while Falco remained the "guy in the droid shop."

_10 years later…_

Falco looked toward the door. Beyond the repair shop within the Temple, the senior Jedi who had remained on Coruscant had just learned of the battle at Geonosis from Master Yoda. The galaxy was officially at war.

His comlink sounded and both Falco and Siri jumped.

"Uh, Padawan Volt, can I help you?"

"Falco, it's Kire. We've been summoned to the Council chambers," the Jedi Knight said.

"Seriously? Um, okay! I'll… I'll be right there!" he replied.

Kire added, "If Padawan Sarae is there with you, have her come along. Her Master will be meeting us there as well."

The two friends looked to each other. Falco thought quickly that if Siri and her Master were also involved, then it had to be something greater than settling a simple dispute elsewhere on Coruscant.

"Master Kire," Falco asked, his voice mature as an adult, "what is going on?"

"War, my Padawan. The galaxy has just entered a civil war, Force help us all."

Falco's eyes widened and Siri's ears twitched with nervous energy. "We're on our way," Falco said and both Padawans sprinted out of the droid shop for the turbo lift.

TO BE CONTINUED…


End file.
